Saving Tomato Seed

This post will focus on how to save tomato seeds.  In order to learn which plants are best to save seed from, be sure to read this article!

Tomato seeds are one of the few seeds that can be saved when your tomato is nicely ripe – and still edible.  You want it to be on the verge of being over-ripe, but not inedible.  These plants are self pollinating, and due to flower structure (exposed stigmas) the ability for insects to cross pollinate is extremely limited.  There are three types of tomato plants that may still cross with one another: currant tomatoes, potato-leaved varieties (those with a smooth leaf edge, vs. a serrated edge), and any fruits that are formed from double-blossoms on beefsteak types (do not save seed from double-fruits).  If you choose to grow one of each variety, you should have no problem with cross pollination.

Pick and wash your tomatoes first.  As you are preparing to eat your tomato, just squeeze the tomato seed “guts” into a clean jar.  Be sure to label your jars and use one jar per variety if you are saving seed from more than one variety.

Fill each jar with water and stir to help separate the seeds from the gel surrounding them.  They won’t separate immediately, but you can get a lot of debris to rise to the top of the jar after stirring and letting it sit.  Seeds will set to the bottom, while bad seeds and debris will rise.  Pour off this debris, replace the water, and allow the seeds to sit at room temperature overnight.  Stir a few times per day, but allow the debris to stay on the top.  It will eventually start to mold, and this is actually encouraged.  The fermentation will help kill seed-borne tomato diseases.  Your tomato mixture will begin to stink, so you may wish to move these to a less populated area of your house or garage or other space, but keep it in warmer temperatures.

Once the mold covers the top  surface of your seeds, or you notice bubbling, you may stir the debris, let it sit for a few moments, dump off mold and debris, refill with water, stir, and allow seeds to fall again.  Pour off debris again, replace water, stir again.  By this time, the seeds should be well cleaned and ready to dry.

Using a fine-mesh strainer, pour the remaining clean water and seeds into the strainer, then place on a screen to dry.  You can create a drying tray by building a small wooden frame and stapling screen on the bottom.  You may also dry on a ceramic or glass plate but remove excess moisture with a paper towel before letting them dry.  Don’t dry seeds on paper towel or cloth, as removing them will be too hard.  Stir the seeds a few times per day to eliminate sticking and clumping.  Don’t forget to label the screen with the variety, because most tomato seeds look the same.  Don’t dry the seeds in direct sunlight, or in an oven or dehydrator.

Save the seeds in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dry area.  They can last 4-10 years with proper storage.

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