Instructions on collecting and saving tomato seeds from the tomatoes that you have grown this past season.
Saving tomato seeds from this year's batch of tomatoes is very simple to do. Not only will it save you money next year, this is also a way to preserve the older and more unique varieties for many years to come. You can also share some of the "heirloom" type seeds with your friends and family. Perhaps in this way, we can bring back some of the varieties of plants and flowers that are quickly becoming extinct.
You first need to select the best, and certainly the most disease free tomatoes from your garden. Wait until they are slightly overripe before picking
Now cut them in half and squeeze the seeds out of the skin into a container, a quart canning jar will work well for this. You will notice that each seed has an outside coating or shell, this is what prevents the seed from sprouting inside of the tomato. In order for the seeds to sprout for you next year, you will need to get rid of the coating. This is done by fermenting your seeds. The fermenting will also kill many seed-borne bacterial diseases.
To start fermenting your seeds, add the same amount of water that you have seeds in your container. Now place your container some place out of the way, this is going to smell unpleasant, for three days.
When you check on your seeds in three days you will see that there is a layer of mold on the top of the jar. Add some more water and scrape off the mold layer. Now stir the seeds to separate the viable seeds, (or the seeds that are capable of growing) and these are the seeds that you will want to save. They will be the ones that sink to the bottom of your jar.
Start pouring of the liquid through a strainer, gently pouring off any top seeds, debris and mold. You will need to keep repeating the adding water, stirring process until only the viable seeds remain in the jar. Next strain the last bit in the jar, catching the good seeds in the strainer.
It is now time to dry the seeds, by spreading them out on a glass plate to dry. At least one time per day stir them around a bit to make sure that they dry evenly. When they are completely dry, store them in an labeled envelope, in a cool, dry place for the next growing season.
Have fun with this method of seed preservation and Happy Gardening!
