Follow these five easy steps and you’ll be on your way to saving your own tomato seeds!
First, slice a tomato in half and crush its pulp and seeds into a jar.
Wait for the pulp and seeds to ferment.
After three days, the mixture will have a white film on top. Rinse and drain off the pulp. Seeds will sink to the bottom.
Rinse seeds with water repeatedly until the seeds are clean.
Spread seeds out to dry in a clean, dry place with a gentle breeze.
From “The Heirloom Life Gardener” by Jere & Emilee Gettle. Copyright © 2011 Jeremiath C. Gettle and Emilee Freie Gettle. Published by Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold. All Rights Reserved.
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Would letting 1/2 a tomato dry out in the fridge, then picking out the seeds + letting dry at room temp. work. I’m thinking this might avoid the white scum layer, and all the rinsing. Any comment?
My Mom just mashes the seeds out onto a paper towel, then spreads them out to dry at room temp. You end up with a stiff mass of seeds glued together by the pulp. She has been doing this all her life and it works for her (She’s 80 years old this year). It won’t hurt to try it that way. I’m assuming that you know seeds from hybrid tomatoes from the store will Not produce fruit like the tomatoes they came from. Heirloom tomatoes should breed true however. Have fun! Kay
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