When it comes to saving your food, using a vacuum sealer is one of the best ways to drastically extend its shelf life. Whether you're storing ingredients in the pantry or keeping them fresh in the fridge, using your FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System can make your food last up to five times longer than traditional storage methods.

Freezer
​Storing your goods for the long haul? Your freezer is well-equipped to keep food safe for a longer amount of time, but this area is prone to certain conditions that may affect your food's texture, taste and quality. Using a vacuum sealer, as well as following the proper freezing guidelines for each type of food, can prevent freezer burn for a longer amount of time while preserving your food's integrity for longer. Meats, like beef, poultry and fish, generally only stay fresh for about six months when stored in the freezer by conventional methods. Using your vacuum sealer can extend that shelf life to about two to three years. Vegetables are also well-suited for your freezer, but it's important to blanche these foods before vacuum sealing, as this may further extend the shelf life from eight months to about two to three years.

Refrigerator
Your freezer is not the only place where your vacuum sealer can have a significant impact on your ingredients' quality. Cheese generally lasts between one to two weeks when stored, but using your vacuum sealer extends that length between four and eight months. The same is true with fruits and berries - while most fresh fruits last about one to six days in the fridge, they can stay fresh for about one to two weeks when preserved with the vacuum sealer. The National Center for Home Food Preservation noted that keeping fruits in a drawer can further extend the freshness of this food.

Pantry
Dry foods and baking ingredients are well-suited for your pantry, but can they be vacuum sealed? The answer is a resounding "yes" - not only can you use this appliance, but doing so drastically increases the time these ingredients stay fresh in this area. Your flour and sugar, for example, may last up to six months in the pantry, but storing them with a vacuum sealer increases that range to about one to two years. Your rice and pasta may have the same results - both may last up to six months when conventionally stored, but that number jumps to one to two years when vacuum sealed.