I feel like I'm always throwing out salad ingredients that don't get used up before they go limp and gross. Looking at maybe investing in some vac seal canisters, I've already got a vac sealer so just need to get the containers.
Looking for input from people who've tried this, does it work well and does it add enough shelf life to fruit and veg to be worthwhile? Any brands of containers to look out for/avoid? Also happy to hear of alternative methods.
Lettuce, cabbage, baby spinach mostly.
We store those veges in the fridge crisper drawer and use this Fridge Mat which has helped to extend freshness.
Not something I've tried, but people apparently rave about these helping produce to last in the fridge longer
I've never used vac seal containers, but I've found that these work quite well to extend the lifespan of veggies in the fridge.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001304089676.html?spm=a2…
These vacuum seal bags are really handy for all foods. especially for things you eat slowly like blocks of cheese, bulk grains/ flour/ panko crumbs
Wrap the cheese in wax paper first to minimise the effort of washing the bags
They don't take up much space until you use, and when you do use they take up only slightly more space than the item (perfect for eskys as the food doesn't drown in melted ice and space isn't wasted on bulky containers)
Have used a VacPro for years with FoodSaver canisters. I don't use the bags.
Many competing brands and types. None of them are perfect. Sometimes the seal doesn't want to kick in, but most of the time it's okay.
Fruit and veg ideally should be eaten fresh, soon after buying. Vac seal them, sure… you can lock in freshness for a bit longer, but you may get tired of doing that.
Anything that releases its own gas may not work well. For example coffee beans recently roasted might emit their own gas causing pressure to equalise and breaking the seal. Same for left over cooked foods. Next day you might notice the lid comes off easily because pressure has equalised.
Great for dried foods like nuts, cereal, biscuits. Also quite good for juice. I would buy 2L Nudie orange juice, and put half in the vac container in fridge. Keeps it like new.
Thanks heaps for your response. I had the idea that I could get a large container and store my leafy greens for ~2 weeks or something. Guess I'll just get the attachment for mason jars instead.
Leafy greens… you might be able to do that. There's a bit of science involved, since you're trapping the water in there too. But you don't want to remove too much water… etc. And do you spin dry the lettuce first before sealing, (probably)… and include paper towel in there, etc… In the end, I couldn't be bothered and personally eat lettuce soon after buying. Everyone has different use cases, so maybe give it a go. Good luck!
Which particular vegetables are you thinking about? Most you can vac seal but probably need to blanch them first; adds about a week or so. Even just storing them in an airtight container (making sure you get rid of excess moisture) also works
A lot of vegies (and herbs) will last longer if you store in a container of water (but not all). There are also 'swag bags' https://www.theswag.com.au/ which I have and definitely seem to add at least a few days if not longer (not sure about lettuce, but it works for chinese leafy greens).