How Long Will Food Last in a vacuum sealed jar?

In this brief guide, we will answer the question “How Long Will Food Last in a vacuum sealed jar?”, and tell you how to properly store food in vacuum sealed mason jars. We will also list down the benefits of vacuum sealing the food and what happens if you do not store the food properly.

How Long Will Food Last in a vacuum sealed jar?

Food in a vacuum sealed jar will last for 2-3 years when frozen while this food will last for 6-12 months when frozen in conventional ways. On the other hand, food in a vacuum sealed jar will last for 1-2 weeks while it will last for only 1-3 days when stored in the refrigerator.

How to properly store food in vacuum sealed mason jars?

Always wash your hands while handling food. Transfer the food into the mason jar and then place it inside the freezer. Do not put on the lid at this point.

Although mason jars are freezer safe, you never know with glass so let it freeze first without the lid. Once it has frozen, put the lid back on and make sure it is tightly secured in place then freeze again.

You can also put the mason jar filled with food directly into the fridge with the lid on.

What are the benefits of vacuum sealing the food?

There are many benefits of vacuum sealing the food. We will list down some of them here.

  • It saves time as you can store individual servings in multiple jars. You will only have to reheat the portion that you will be eating and not all of it.
  • It protects your food from getting contaminated. A lot of bacteria and mold can not grow in the absence of oxygen.
  • Food lasts longer and its shelf life is increased as compared to when you store food in containers or ziplock bags. Even when kept in the fridge or freezer, food lasts longer in vacuum sealed jars or bags.
  • When kept in the freezer, vacuum sealing prevents the food from getting a freezer burn as there is no air coming in contact with the food.
  • Vacuum sealing also saves your money as the food lasts longer than it would without vacuum sealing, so you can use old food rather than having to throw it out due to spoilage or contamination.
  • Vacuum sealing preserves the taste of the food. As it retains all the seasonings, flavors and juices within itself.
  • It prevents the food from catching odors from other foods placed in the fridge.
  • Vacuum sealing also keeps your food fresh since there is no oxygen coming in contact with it, so there is no way for any chemical reactions to take place which would otherwise make your food go bad.
  • You can also use vacuum suction for storing your leftover snacks such as potato chips. This way they would not get soggy and would be as good as new whenever you want to eat them next.
  • If you are using vacuum sealed bags for food storage, they save a lot of space inside your fridge or freezer as compared to the conventional plastic containers.
  • They also make it easier to organize everything inside your fridge or freezer.
  • It’s a great option for people who do meal prep a week ahead.
  • You can store your leftovers safely by vacuum sealing them and this will help you save time and effort on days when you do not feel like cooking.
  • You can also store half cooked meals or sauces this way and keep them for days where you do not have enough time to cook.

Look at the shelf lives of different types of vacuum sealed foods here.

What happens if you do not store the food properly?

Food needs to be stored properly for it to last longer. If not stored properly, it will spoil and get contaminated.

Contaminated food can result in food poisoning which is basically foodborne illness. Normally you can tell if food has gone bad by looking at it or smelling it. Other times, it is hard to tell. 

Food poisoning can cause symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and headaches.

This is why it is important to store food properly, and practice hygiene while handling food.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we answered the question “How Long Will Food Last in a vacuum sealed jar?”, and told you how to properly store food in vacuum sealed mason jars. We also listed down the benefits of vacuum sealing the food and what happens if you do not store the food properly.

Citations

https://www.vacmasterfresh.com/fresh-bites-blog/top-15-advantages-to-vacuum-sealing-your-food/#:~:text=Frozen%20food%20that%20is%20vacuum,stored%20conventionally%20in%20a%20refrigerator.

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