Vacuum sealers are incredibly convenient when you want to store food and save money. While it is possible to find a large portion of foods that are non-perishable, the majority have expiration dates that can be extended by using a food sealer.
Understanding the process of vacuum sealing and how long it can remain on the shelf once sealed can be confusing. Lucky for you, this vacuum sealed food shelf life chart and other useful sealing information can help you along the way.
Why Choose Vacuum Packaging?
The most significant reason to use vacuum sealing is that perishable foods can maintain their freshness and shelf life three to five times longer than they naturally might. Vacuum sealing your food ensures that it doesn’t come in contact with any oxygen, and foods that are typically stored in the freezer no longer suffer from freezer burn.
If you choose to practice vacuum sealing, your food bills get reduced because the food that you purchase lasts longer in that you won’t be throwing as much away. Using a vacuum sealer is also great when purchasing items in bulk to save money because you can re-package what you buy at home.
How Does Vacuum Sealing Help with Perishable Foods?
Vacuum sealers are primarily used to extend the life of perishable goods that otherwise might not last as long. Here are a handful of reasons that vacuum seals can help to improve your food’s natural shelf life:
- Eliminates oxygen and prevents oxygen from getting in contact with the food
- No contamination during transporting of the food to storage
- No contamination when handling the sealed product
- Flavors get reserved so it tastes fresh
- Prevents freezer burn, which keeps your food from drying and shriveling up
- No need to cut off discolored or dried out parts, so there is no loss
- You can purchase products in bulk, which can save you money
- The natural moisture of food is preserved
- No product weight loss
- No discoloration and no moisture from the air is absorbed
Extended Shelf Life Chart
It’s a great idea to familiarize yourself with a vacuum sealed food shelf life chart because unless the food is non-perishable, it’s still going to reach an expiration date. After all, using a food sealer only extends shelf life.
You can turn to the information below so that you know the approximate shelf life of your vacuum sealed food.
Food Kept in a Refrigerator
Cooked Food:
Normal: Two days
Vacuumed: 10 days
Fresh Meat:
Normal: Two days
Vacuumed: Six days
Chicken:
Normal: Two days
Vacuumed: Six days
Fresh Fish:
Normal: Two days
Vacuumed: Four to five days
Smoked Sausage:
Normal: 90 days
Vacuumed: One year
Sandwich Meat:
Normal: Three days
Vacuumed: Six to eight days
Dutch Cheese:
Normal: 12 to 15 days
Vacuumed: 50 to 55 days
French Cheese:
Normal: Five to seven days
Vacuumed: 13 to 15 days
Fresh Vegetables:
Normal: Five days
Vacuumed: 18 to 20 days
Lettuce:
Normal: Three days
Vacuumed: Six to eight days
Fresh Herbs:
Normal: Two to three days
Vacuumed: Seven to 14 days
Fresh Fruit:
Normal: Three to seven days
Vacuumed: Eight to 20 days
Deserts:
Normal: Five days
Vacuumed: 10 to 15 days
Kept at Room Temperature
Temperature plays a significant role when storing all types of food, and that includes vacuum sealed foods. Here is a general guide to foods stored at room temperature:
Breads and rolls:
Normal: two to three days
Vacuumed: Seven to eight days
Cookies:
Normal: 120 days
Vacuumed: 300 days
Dried Food:
Normal: 10 to 30 days
Vacuumed: 30 to 90 days
Non-cooked Noodles:
Normal: 180 days
Vacuumed: One year
Coffee and Tea:
Normal: 30 to 60 days
Vacuumed: One year
Wine:
Normal: Two to three days
Vacuumed: 20 to 25 days
Non-alcoholic After Opening:
Normal: Two to three days
Vacuumed: Seven to 10 days
Chips and Snacks:
Normal: Five to 10 days
Vacuumed: 20 to 30 days
Baked Foods:
Normal: Two to three days
Vacuumed: Seven to 10 days
Nuts:
Normal: 30 to 60 days
Vacuumed: 120 to 180 days
Kept in a Freezer
One of the worst things is putting your food in the freezer and having them suffer from freezer burn. Freezer burn can make your food dry, and it can remove a lot of the natural flavor that your food naturally has.
Fresh Meat:
Normal: Six months
Vacuumed: 18 months
Chicken:
Normal: Six months
Vacuumed: 18 months
Minced Meat:
Normal: Four months
Vacuumed: One year
Fresh Fish:
Normal: Six months
Vacuumed: 18 months
Fresh Vegetables:
Normal: Eight months
Vacuumed: Two years
Herbs:
Normal: Six to 10 months
Vacuumed: 18 to 30 months
Champignons:
Normal: Eight months
Vacuumed: Two years
Fruit:
Normal: Six to 10 months
Vacuumed: 18 to 30 months
Baked Products:
Normal: Six months to one year
Vacuumed: 18 months
Sandwich Meats:
Normal: Two months
Vacuumed: Four to six months
Ground Coffee:
Normal: Six months
Vacuumed: 12 to 34 months
Coffee Beans:
Normal: Six to nine months
Vacuumed: 18 to 27 months
Bread and Rolls:
Normal: Six to 12 months
Vacuumed: 18 to 36 months
Conclusion
As you can see from the information above, having a vacuum sealed food shelf life chart can be highly beneficial. To get the most out of your vacuum sealer, make sure that you take advantage of any information that you can find.
It’s essential to remember that just because you are sealing your food doesn’t mean that it’s going to last forever. Consult with the user’s manual that came along with your food sealer, and you’re likely to find more information on how long your specific sealer can prolong shelf life.
1 Comment
BobA
April 19, 2020 at 6:43 amI am having a hard time finding information about food storage life when using oxygen absorbers. Did I miss their mention in this article?
I add an O2 absorber prior to vacuum sealing. Will this add any more shelf life to stored food?