18 Best Foods to Vacuum Seal (And 5 You Shouldn't)

A handheld vacuum sealer is one of the most useful kitchen gadgets you can own — but not every food plays nicely inside a vacuum-sealed bag. Get it right and you'll slash food waste, save hundreds on groceries, and enjoy fresher food for weeks or months longer. Get it wrong and you can end up with crushed berries, soggy lettuce, or worse.

In this article, we break down 18 foods that vacuum seal beautifully (and how to seal them properly), plus 5 foods you should never vacuum seal.

Why Vacuum Sealing Works So Well

Food spoils for three main reasons:

Oxidation — oxygen reacts with fats and nutrients, turning food rancid or brown
Bacteria and mould — most need oxygen to grow
Freezer burn — caused by air touching frozen food and drawing out moisture

Vacuum sealing removes most of the oxygen from the bag, slowing all three down dramatically. Most foods last 3–5 times longer when properly sealed.

The 18 Best Foods to Vacuum Seal

🥩 Meats & Seafood

1. Raw steaks, chops, and roasts Portion into meal-sized amounts, seal, and freeze. Stays fresh for 2–3 years without freezer burn (vs 6–12 months loose in the freezer). For the best result, pat the meat dry before sealing and remove any sharp bone splinters that could puncture the bag.

2. Mince / ground meat Divide into flat portions about 2–3 cm thick — flat packs thaw faster than chunks. Mince is one of the biggest sources of food waste (it only lasts 1–2 days in the fridge) but vacuum-sealed it keeps 1–2 weeks refrigerated and up to a year frozen.

3. Chicken and poultry Portion by piece (breasts, thighs, drumsticks) or freeze whole birds. Again, pat dry before sealing and freeze on a tray first if the pieces are wet — this stops them from freezing together in a block.

4. Fish and seafood Firm white fish (like snapper, barramundi, salmon) works best. Pat thoroughly dry. Oily fish like mackerel and sardines don't keep quite as long (the fats can still oxidise slowly) but still last 6–12 months vs 2–3 months loose. For prawns and shrimp, freeze them first on a tray, then bag — it keeps them from sticking together.

5. Bacon, salami, and cured meats Cured meats already last reasonably well, but vacuum sealing prevents the white mould bloom and rancidity that can happen once the original packet is opened. Bacon keeps 6+ months in the freezer sealed; sliced deli meats last 2–3 weeks in the fridge instead of 3–5 days.

🧀 Cheese & Dairy

6. Hard cheeses (cheddar, parmesan, gouda, mozzarella blocks) This is a game-changer. A block of cheddar normally goes mouldy after 1–2 weeks in the fridge once opened. Vacuum sealed, it lasts 4–8 weeks. Just make sure the cheese is dry on the outside (wipe with a paper towel if needed). Block cheese only — don't vacuum seal already-grated cheese (it gets crushed) or soft cheese (see "what not to seal" below).

7. Butter Butter picks up fridge odours easily. Vacuum-seal extra blocks of butter and they'll keep in the fridge for months or the freezer for years, with no off-flavours.

🥬 Vegetables

8. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, and peas Blanch first! Drop them into boiling water for 1–3 minutes (depending on size), then plunge into ice water to stop cooking, drain, pat very dry, and seal. Blanching deactivates enzymes that would otherwise make vegetables go mushy and off-flavoured in the freezer even without air. Blanched and sealed, veg lasts 2–3 years in the freezer.

9. Corn on the cob Blanch for 4–6 minutes (depending on cob size), cool in ice water, pat dry, seal whole or cut into rounds. Perfect summer corn in the middle of winter.

10. Bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus Same as above — blanch, dry, seal. These veg freeze exceptionally well.

11. Onions (chopped/sliced only) and prepared veggies Chop onions, peppers, celery, carrots and seal them in recipe-sized portions — they're your go-to for stir-fries, soups, and stews. Note: don't seal whole raw onions or garlic — see "what not to seal" below.

🍓 Fruits

12. Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries) Freeze berries in a single layer on a baking tray first (so they don't clump together), then transfer to vacuum bags and seal. They last 1–2 years in perfect condition — no freezer burn, no mushy berries. Perfect for smoothies, baking, or eating partially thawed.

13. Mango, pineapple, peaches, stone fruit Peel, slice, freeze on trays, then bag and seal. Excellent for smoothies and fruit salads. A quick dip in lemon water before freezing helps prevent browning.

14. Bananas (for smoothies/baking only) Peel ripe bananas, seal them whole or in chunks, and freeze. They're perfect for banana bread and smoothies. Don't expect them to thaw into an eatable banana — they'll be mushy. But they're amazing for baking.

🍞 Baked Goods & Dry Goods

15. Bread, rolls, and baked goods Bread goes stale because of moisture loss and mould. Seal a loaf whole (sliced or unsliced) and it'll stay fresh for 1–2 weeks at room temperature, or 6–12 months in the freezer. Wait until freshly baked bread cools completely before sealing to avoid condensation.

16. Flour, sugar, rice, pasta, and grains These pantry staples are magnets for weevils and moisture. Seal them in portion bags and they'll stay fresh in the pantry for 2–3 years (vs 6–12 months in their original packaging). This is especially important in humid Australian climates.

17. Coffee beans and ground coffee Coffee goes stale within 1–2 weeks of opening because of oxidation. Seal opened bags and your beans stay fresh for 6–12 months. Pro tip: portion beans into weekly or bi-weekly amounts so you don't open the whole big bag every day.

18. Nuts, trail mix, and dried fruit Nuts go rancid quickly because of their high fat content — often within 1–3 months in the pantry. Vacuum sealed and stored in a cool place (or the fridge), they stay fresh for 6–12 months. Dried fruit keeps for years instead of going hard and sugary.

5 Foods You Should NOT Vacuum Seal

1. Soft cheeses (brie, camembert, blue cheese, goat cheese, feta) Soft cheeses contain moisture and naturally occurring bacteria that thrive in an oxygen-free (anaerobic) environment, including the dangerous botulinum bacteria. Never vacuum seal soft cheese unless you are freezing it and using it within a few weeks.

2. Whole raw onions and whole garlic bulbs Onions and garlic release gases after being sealed that can break the vacuum and cause spoilage. Onions also naturally harbour botulism spores that can grow in oxygen-free environments at room temperature. Chopped/sliced onions and garlic are fine if you refrigerate or freeze them immediately after sealing.

3. Raw mushrooms Like onions, mushrooms can contain botulism spores. The sealed, room-temperature environment is dangerous. Cooked mushrooms are fine to seal and refrigerate/freeze.

4. Cruciferous vegetables when raw (broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) Wait — we said broccoli blanched is fine, and it is. Raw cruciferous vegetables emit gases in the bag that can break the seal over time and develop off-flavours. Blanching deactivates this, which is why blanched versions seal beautifully.

5. Very hot or warm food Always let food cool to room temperature (or fridge temperature) before sealing. Sealing warm food creates condensation inside the bag, which leads to ice crystals in the freezer and bacterial growth in the fridge. Plus, hot steam can damage your sealer.

Quick Pro Tips

Freeze first, seal second for wet or sticky items (berries, fish, soups, marinated meat). Freeze on a tray until solid, then pop into bags and seal — no mess, no stuck-together clumps.
Pat dry everything. Moisture is the enemy of a good seal and frozen food quality.
Label every bag with contents and date. You'll thank yourself in 6 months.
Leave 3–5 cm headroom at the top of the bag for the zipper.
Don't overfill. The bag needs to tighten around the food for the best seal — overstuffed bags don't pull tight.

The Bottom Line

A handheld vacuum sealer is one of the most versatile tools in the kitchen once you know what works. Meats, hard cheese, blanched vegetables, fruits, bread, coffee, and dry goods all dramatically benefit. Avoid soft cheese, whole raw onions/garlic, raw mushrooms, and raw cruciferous veg — and always cool food before sealing.

Armed with this list, you'll cut down on food waste, save money on groceries, and always have fresh-tasting ingredients ready to go.

Want to get started? Check out the FreshLock Starter Kit — it includes the sealer and 30 bags in three sizes so you can start sealing right away.