Do you want to vacuum seal your purchases? Avoid these seven foods

Vacuum seal It is a popular choice for a longer shelf life for many foods. From helping meat avoid freezer burn to ensuring your coffee lasts until you’re ready to drink it, this method can be a great way to save money on groceries by buying in bulk. However, not all foods can survive this process.

Vegetables, fermented foods, and even some cheeses can spoil more quickly and may develop toxins or cause food poisoning if vacuum sealed.

Charles Haverfield, food packaging expert American packagingshared his tips on vacuum sealing and why you should never use this at-home packaging process to preserve certain foods.

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Soft, unpasteurized cheese

According to Haverfield, soft cheeses should not be sealed because they can “host anaerobic bacteria, which thrive without oxygen.” Cheeses such as camembert, brie, feta, and soft mozzarella are susceptible to this condition and should be eaten as soon as possible after purchase.

If they are vacuum sealed, they may emit an unpleasant odor when reopened. It is best to keep these cheeses in their original packaging.

Read more: Store your cheese properly and you will extend its life by days and even weeks. Here’s how

Raw and cooked vegetables

Some produce is at risk of spoilage a few days after you bring it home — looking at you, avocado — but vacuum sealing isn’t the answer. “Cooked and raw vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage emit gases when stored, and vacuum sealing them can cause gas buildup, which can cause the bag to explode,” says Haverfield.

“To store vegetables properly, you must freeze them. Do this by first blanching them for 2 (to) 5 minutes depending on the type of vegetable, then immediately transfer them to an ice bath for the same amount of time to stop the cooking process. This will preserve their color, texture and nutritional value. Dry them well before freezing on a flat tray and store them in an airtight, resealable bag.”

Read more: You can save money at the grocery store by extending the shelf life of your food. Here’s how

Fermented foods

Like raw and cooked vegetables, fermented foods release gases that expand in a vacuum-sealed bag. The danger is that this could explode in your fridge, leaving you with a sour mess to clean up your fridge.

It’s best to keep fermented foods stored according to instructions in the glass container you bought them in, or if you made them yourself, store them in a resealable container. Every time the jar or package is opened, any gases are released.

Raw mushrooms

Vacuum sealing is intended to keep foods fresher for longer, but this is not always the case. “Mushrooms can spoil faster when they are vacuum sealed,” Haverfield explains. “It contains a lot of moisture and quickly turns sticky when confined to sealed containers.”

The best place to store mushrooms is in a simple brown paper bag in the refrigerator.

Raw garlic and onions

Raw garlic and onions are the building blocks of many dishes, so every chef likes to have them on hand. However, if you store too much, do not vacuum up these delicious alliums or you will risk it Food poisoningaccording to Haverfield, a potentially fatal disease. However, you can vacuum seal them if they have been previously frozen.

Berries

Ultrasoft foods aren’t great candidates for vacuum sealing either, which explains the next two entries on this list. “Because of their softness, berries are not good for vacuum sealing and pressure will crush them, damaging their outer skin and causing them to spoil faster,” Haverfield says.

“Alternatively, rinse the berries in a colander, gently swirl them around to shake out any trapped water, then place them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel.” Or freeze them for a pie or smoothie later.

Banana

Soft, brown bananas may be great for baking banana bread, but they don’t make a great meal. Haverfield explains how bananas can turn mushy and brown when vacuum sealed due to their high production of ethylene gas.

“To preserve bananas, it is best to peel them and freeze them into slices or chunks on a flat tray covered with shrink wrap first, then transfer them to an airtight, resealable bag for long-term storage,” he says.

For more kitchen tips, see Seven foods you should never put in the air fryer And learn how to get it Stained cookware sparkles again With common store components.