#1 Many plant seeds can be
saved simply by collecting them as they dry. Tomatoes
take a bit more work. The tomato seeds are enclosed in a
gel like sack that contains growth inhibitors,
preventing the seeds from sprouting inside the tomato.
The best way to remove this gel covering is to allow the
fruits to rot and ferment. In nature this happens when
the fruit falls off the plant. For seed savers, we're
going to speed up the process.
The first step is to choose
your best looking tomatoes. You want to save seed from
the finest fruit, so that next year's plant will have
good genes.
Slice the fruit in half so that
the stem end is on one side and the blossom end on the
other. This will expose the seed cavities better than if
you sliced through the stem end. In some paste and
smaller tomatoes, the seeds are so concentrated in the
cavity that you can scoop them out and still be able to
use the flesh of the tomato for cooking. Many slicing
tomatoes will require scooping out all of the flesh with
the seeds. Whichever the case, scoop the seeds into a
clean bowl or jar.
#2 If the
seeds are not floating in liquid from
the tomato, add up to a cup of water to
help separate the seeds from the pulp.
Then set the bowl of tomato seeds and
pulp in a warm, out of the way spot. You
will need to allow 2-4 days for the
fermentation to take place. As it does
so, the mixture is going to begin to
smell awful, so store the bowl where you
won't pass by frequently.
If you have
glass jars available, they make a good
container for fermenting tomato seeds.
The extra space at the top of the jar
controls some of the odor and the clear
sides let you keep tabs on what is
happening. Covering the top of the jar
with cheesecloth or paper towel will
keep fruit flies out and also diminish
the spread of the unpleasant odor.
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#3 What you
eventually want to see is a layer of
mold on top of your seeds & pulp. The
process is done when bubbles start
rising from the mixture or when the
entire bowl is covered with mold. Don't
leave the seeds fermenting past this
stage or they may begin to germinate.
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#4 It is
harder to seed the layer of mold through
the glass jar, but you can generally
tell the fermentation is complete when
the seeds settle to the bottom of the
jar in a watery liquid and the thicker
pulp and mold sit on top of them.
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#5 Finally
you can remove and dispose of the mold
covering. Lifting it before rinsing the
seeds will make rinsing easier, but it's
not necessary. You can add some water to
the jar or bowl and stir or shake
vigorously. The good seeds will settle
to the bottom, allowing you to drain off
the excess first.
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#6 Strain the seed
mixture into a colander and rinse the seeds well under
running water. Try to remove any remaining pulp bits
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#7 Spread
the seeds onto either a paper plate or
glass dish, to dry. Don't use paper or
paper towels or the seeds to stick and
be difficult to remove. Set them in a
warm, dry spot and allow to dry
completely. Shake them on the plate
daily to make sure they don't clump and
that they dry evenly. Don't try to speed
the process by using heat.
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#8 Once the seeds are
thoroughly dry, you can store them in an air tight
container, in a cool, dry place. The envelop shown here
will be placed inside a canning jar. Remember to label
and date your seeds!
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