What can I vacuum seal? Foods that work, foods to freeze first, foods to avoid

Seal these straight away

• Raw meat and poultry — mince, steak, chicken, chops. Pat dry first.
• Fish and seafood — fillets, whole fish, prawns. The single best use for this.
• Hard and semi-hard cheese — keeps for weeks longer without drying or moulding at the cut face.
• Hard vegetables — carrots, capsicum, celery, beans, snow peas. Celery in particular goes from a week to several.
• Cured meats — salami, prosciutto, bacon.
• Nuts, coffee, dried fruit, flour, pet kibble — anything that goes stale or rancid from air.
• Cooked leftovers, cooled to fridge temperature first.
• Non-food: matches, first aid kits, spare clothes, documents, phone chargers. Genuinely useful camping and in a boat.

Freeze first, then seal

• Soups, stews, sauces, stock — freeze flat 2–4 hours, then seal. Full guide here.
• Berries and soft fruit — freeze on a tray so they don't crush.
• Anything very juicy — ripe tomatoes, melon.

Blanch first

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and brussels sprouts release gas as they sit. Blanch for 2–3 minutes, cool in iced water, dry thoroughly, then seal. Skip the blanching and the bag will puff up on its own within a day — that's the vegetable, not the seal.

Don't bother

• Lettuce and soft leafy greens — they crush. Use a container instead, which gives you the same air removal with rigid walls. This is the single most common thing people ask us and the container is the honest answer.
• Anything carbonated — it will foam and it will not seal.
• Whole raw mushrooms — they keep respiring. Slice and freeze, or leave them in paper.
• Bread and baked goods — you can, but expect it to re-expand a little. The crumb holds air. Seal gently and don't panic when it puffs.
• Raw garlic and onion — safe to seal chilled or frozen, but don't leave them sealed at room temperature.
• Bananas and avocados — the vacuum flattens them.

The food safety bit

Vacuum sealing slows spoilage by removing oxygen. It does not sterilise, and it is not a substitute for refrigeration. Sealed food still goes in the fridge or freezer, and sealed leftovers still follow the same use-by rules as unsealed ones.

Got something not on this list? Ask us at hello@sealit.com.au — we'll add it.

Reorder bags → · Containers for soft foods →