a lid for a container adapted to receive the perishable product, said lid comprising an elastic seal member for forming an airtight seal to the rim of the container, said elastic seal member being substantially impermeable to air to prevent air from permeating through into the container, and a rigid rim connected to said elastic seal member for receiving or surrounding the rim of the container, said rigid rim comprising a sufficiently rigid material for preventing said rigid rim from being substantially deformed when said lid is pressed to deform said elastic seal member to force air out of the container and for forming and preserving vacuum in the container after said lid is released, the rigid rim substantially defining a plane and including an outwardly protruding section;

a valve-less vacuum releaser for releasing the vacuum in the container to facilitate the removal of said lid, said valve-less vacuum releaser comprising a finger-receiving chamber defined by the outwardly protruding section and disposed generally below a section of said elastic seal member located within the outwardly protruding section, said finger-receiving chamber being sufficiently large to allow a finger or finger-like member to press onto and push said section of said elastic seal member to release the vacuum in the container; and

whereby in use, to form a vacuum in the container one presses said lid to force the air out of the container and subsequently releases said lid, and to open the container one places a finger or finger-like member into said finger-receiving chamber and pushes said elastic seal member to release said vacuum in the container.