The short answer
- With a jar cover or the Flex Jar-Sealer, a LAVA sealer in container mode draws the air out of jars.
- Good for dry goods, coffee and nuts, opened jams and sauces in the fridge, and fridge pickles.
- A vacuum doesn't sterilise: for preserves that keep in the pantry, follow a tested canning recipe.
- Let hot contents cool before vacuum sealing a jar.
Three ways to vacuum a jar
Vacuum cover for jars
A rigid cover for twist-off jars and two-piece preserving jars with 8–9cm caps. Tighten the lid to the first resistance, put the cover over it, switch the sealer to container mode; when the vacuum is reached, lift the cover off.
Helps: Vacuum cover for jars
Flex Jar-Sealer
A flexible silicone bell for jars of almost any shape up to 106mm wide and 150mm tall, with a LAVA sealer or a hand pump.
Helps: Flex Jar-Sealer
In a vacuum container
For a jar that fits neither: close it, stand it in a larger vacuum container and vacuum the container. The vacuum reaches the jar under its lid.
Helps: ES-Line containers
What it's good for
| In the jar | Where | Why vacuum |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee, tea, nuts, flour, dried fruit | Pantry | Less air: aroma kept, no staleness or moths |
| Opened jam, sauces, pesto | Fridge | Keeps longer once opened |
| Fridge pickles | Fridge | A tight lid, crisp for longer |
| Leftovers, prepared vegetables | Fridge | Fresh for the next days |
Preserves meant for the pantry (jams, fruit, pickles) still need heat processing following a tested recipe.
A vacuum lid isn't canning. Drawing the air out of a jar slows spoilage, but it doesn't kill bacteria. Low-acid food such as vegetables, meat, soups or baby food in jars must stay in the fridge or freezer unless it has been pressure canned following a tested method.
LAVA AustraliaOfficial LAVA distributor and vacuum-packaging specialists since 2018.
