How To Vacuum Seal Freeze Dried Foods

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Have so many freeze-dried food but don’t know how to seal it? Got a bulk of emergency freeze-dried food you’re afraid to open because it will spoil? Then we’ll teach you how to vacuum seal freeze dried foods to help keep them longer.

How To Vacuum Seal Freeze Dried Foods in Mylar Bags

One of the popular options for storing freeze-dried food is Mylar bags. This is because they keep out air and moisture better than Ziplock bags. Close to glass, they’re the next best impermeable material that can help keep your food fresh longer. The problem is they don’t have air chambers that FoodSaver vacuum sealers need to help suck out the air. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t vacuum seal them. It’s very easy as long as you have the right materials.

Materials for vacuum sealing

For vacuum sealing freeze-dried food in mylar bags, you’ll need:

• Flat iron (yes, the one you use for hair)
• FoodSaver vacuum sealer
• Attachment hose
• Straw from a sippy cup or any flexible straw that can fit the hose attachment’s end. Make sure it’s long enough to reach the bottom of the Mylar bag.
• Oxygen absorbers

Vacuum sealing the Mylar bag

Now here comes the fun part on how to seal freeze dried foods. On this step, though, you have to act fast. Oxygen absorbers have a window of 20-30 minutes before it reaches full capacity. So make sure everything’s ready before you take out your oxygen absorbers.

1. Plug your flat iron and wait for it to heat up.
2. Attach the straw to the end of the hose of your FoodSaver vacuum sealer.
3. Put your freeze-dried food and oxygen absorber inside the Mylar bag.
4. Smoothen the bag and even out the edges. Any unevenness will create a crease and ruin the vacuum sealing.
5. Hold the lip of the bag in the middle. Position the flat iron across the lip flat and evenly.
6. Clamp the flat iron tightly and count to 10. Then drag it across the Mylar bag, away from your finger.
7. Keep going until you’re left with an inch of opening left.
8. Insert the straw inside and then create a seal around the straw. Don’t clamp the flat iron on the straw; you will melt it and ruin the process.
9. Once you create a tight seal around the straw, put down the flat iron on a safe surface. Next, turn on your FoodSaver vacuum sealer.
10. Move the straw around as the machine sucks out air from the bag.
11. Keep going until you get this wrinkly vacuum-sealed appearance.
12. Once satisfied, gently pull out the straw until it’s near the opening.
13. Pinch close to the bottom of the straw to keep air from coming in.
14. Take out the straw and quickly seal the edge using the flat iron.

Note that you’re not going to make a perfect vacuum seal with this method. Still, it’s way better than sealing the Mylar bag with a heat sealer.

Mylar bag and oxygen absorber vacuum sealing myth

Some people say that when you add in oxygen absorbers, your bag will have this vacuum-sealed look. In a way, it will. Because O2 packs absorb oxygen, which is 21% of air. Still, there are other gases that make up the air inside your Mylar bag that oxygen absorbers can’t suck in. So getting that tight, vacuum-sealed look isn’t going to happen with just oxygen absorbers.

Can I Just Suck The Air Out Of The Bag?

Tempting the idea may be, we don’t recommend it. No matter how careful you are, you will still introduce saliva into your food pack. This can cause major spoilage of your food and ruin your preservation efforts.

How to Vacuum Seal Freeze Dried Foods in Mason Jars

This is easier than Mylar bags because there are tools and attachments made for this. What you’ll need are:

• Mason Jar
• Jar sealer
• FoodSaver Sealer with
• Nesco Delux Vacuum Sealer; or
• Manual or electric portable vacuum pump
• Oxygen absorber

Before you seal, check the lip of the mason jar and the quality of the lids. One food storer was surprised to find his oxygen absorbers indicated they were used up. He opened the lid and found a crack on the lip of the mason jar. This eventually let the air in even after vacuum sealing it, so their freeze-dried food wasn’t as fresh as it should have been.

Sealing Mason Jars

1. Place the freeze-dried food inside the mason jar
2. Cover the jar with the jar lid
3. Carefully position the jar sealer attachment on the lid. Make sure it’s locked and secure.
4. For using FoodSaver sealer or Nesco Delux vacuum sealer:
   1. Connect the hose on the lid attachment and the hose port of the vacuum sealer.
   2. Turn on the machine and let it run until there’s a soft pop or until the machine stops.
   3. Take out the jar sealer attachment and double-check the seal of the lid.
   4. Twist the tin band around the mason jar lid for added seal.
5. For using a manual or electric vacuum pump:
   1. Manual: align the holes of the pump and the lid attachment.
   2. Pull the handle of the pump up and down. Continue pumping until you can no longer move the handle.
   3. Electric: align the holes of the pump and lid attachment
   4. Press the button and let the electric pump run for 5-8 seconds.
   5. Check the seal of the lid
   6. Secure the lid with the rings.

How To Vacuum Seal Freeze Dried Foods After Opening

If you ordered freeze-dried food kits in large bags or #10 cans, chances are you’re hesitant to open them. And it’s okay because we all know once we open the seal, the shorter the lifespan will be of freeze-dried food.

So what you can do is to re-pack the food in separate Mylar bags or Mason jars. This way, you help keep the food good for eating longer. And if you opened the Mylar bags and Mason jars, you can just reseal them again for later use.

But remember that whenever you open the sealed containers, you’re cutting down the storage life. This is because each time you open the containers, you expose the food to moisture and oxygen. It may keep longer after resealing, but don’t expect it to last more than 5-10 years after opening.

We hope these tips on how to vacuum seal freeze dried foods helped you. If you have questions, please let us know in the comment section.

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