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Plants, Seeds, More!
Basics Saving tomato seeds is simple enough, but is somewhat more complicated than just shaking seeds from plant to jar. Inside the tomato, seeds are encased in tomato pulp, and this pulp -- as would happen when a ripe tomato rots on the ground -- must ferment away become the seed can be saved.

How To The steps involed in saving tomato seeds are as follows:

1. Select a nice, ripe (even overripe) tomato of an open-pollinated or heirloom variety (hybrid tomatoes won't beed true). Pick from plants that are at their best, not end-of-season or otherwise frail.
2. With clean hands  squeeze the pulp out into a clean glass or jar, and add a few ounces of warm water. (Or alternatively, put the warm water and pulp into a blender and blend briefly at a low speed.)
3. Put some plastic wrap or other mostly-airtight cover over the glass or jar and let it sit in a warm spot away from sunlight. Be aware that the fermenting pulp can give off a pungent rotten smell.
4. Check the pulp each day. Generally, it takes around three days for the pulp to ferment, and the freed seeds to fall to the bottom. But it can happen in slightly more than a day if the pulp was very ripe. Look for a white mold crust on the top of the pulp, and visible clean seeds at the bottom of the container (one reason to use glass instead of plastic). If you leave the seeds in the warm mix too long, they will sprout, and be useless.
5. When you see clean tomato seeds on the bottom of the container, they are ready to harvest. Run water into the container, swish it around, and pour off the mold and pulp, being careful to let the tomato seeds settle in the bottom of the container. Repeat this until you have clear water and seed.
6. Pour off all the water you can, and pour the seeds out on a paper plate or some cardboard (napkins and paper towels tend to stick to the seeds and cause problems).
7. Leave the seeds in a cool, dry spot until well-dried. Then, scrape them into a sealable container or plastic bag and store them in a cool, dry place. If you have  a small bag of desiccant (often found in vitamins and other products), put it with the seeds to maintain low moisture.

As with all seeds, cool, dry conditions will increase viability and storage time.



* Please note that this information is for educational purposes only and does not represent any form of medical advice. Statements made here have not been evaluated by the FDA. Product discussion here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Users are encouraged to work with a nutritionally-oriented doctor before embracing a nutritional or herbal regime.

Saving Tomato Seeds