How to Vacuum Pack Food

Last Updated: October 9, 2022 References

Vacuum packing food is the perfect way to extend its life, and it can even help prevent freezer burn. We'll show you how easy it is, whether you're using a vacuum sealer or a manual pump.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Vacuum Pack Food With an Automatic Machine

1
Clean and prepare the food that you wish to vacuum pack.^{[1]
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- Scrub or peel fruits and vegetables so dirt is not trapped inside the vacuum seal.
- Trim any skin and bone that you don’t need from meat.
2
Place the food inside the plastic bag. Most machines require using a specific brand of bag.^{[2]
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3
Put the open edge of the bag into the sealing machine.
4
Press the button, if necessary, to start the vacuum and sealing process. Many vacuum pack food machines have an automatic sensor that alerts the machine when a bag has been placed inside and automatically starts the sealing process.
5
Watch as the vacuum pack food machine withdraws the air and the plastic bag shrinks.
6
Wait for the machine to stop its operation, which signaling that the plastic bag has properly been sealed.
7
Remove the vacuum packed food and store it in the pantry, fridge or freezer.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Vacuum Pack Food With a Manual Pump

1
Clean and prepare the food that you wish to vacuum pack.
2
Insert the food into the plastic bag or container. (Many manual vacuum sealing systems use containers rather than bags.)^{[3]
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3
Place the lid on the container or seal the bag.
4
Put the nozzle end of the pump into the provided hole on the plastic bag or container lid.^{[4]
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5
Press down on the pump repeatedly until all the oxygen is sucked from the bag or container.
6
Remove the nozzle from the pumping hole. (Many of the manual systems have a one way nozzle so that air won’t escape once the nozzle has been removed.)
7
Store the food in the pantry, fridge or freezer.

Community Q&A

Question

How safe is it to vacuum seal tuna salad and ship it for two to three days for someone to consume?

Community Answer

If it is refrigerated, it should be fine. To be on the safe side, include some thermal stickers that will alert the recipient if the food was ever below safe food temperature, and you should be good to go.
Question

Can I vacuum frozen packaged vegetables without taking them out of the bag?

Community Answer

The simplest way is to leave the frozen packaged vegetables out for 5 minutes, then you can vacuum pack them.

Warnings

Be sure to follow the food safety guidelines for vacuum packed food before consumption. While the life of food is greatly extended by the vacuum packing process, the food will still expire or spoil after a certain point.

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Even with vacuum packed food there is a chance of growing of anaerobic organism that cause threat to the food.

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