Tomatoes are a garden staple. Delicious and versatile, they can be used in a variety of meals and sauces. Tomatoes are also fairly easy to save seed from for growing the following year. All you need is a tomato plant, some water, and a bit of patience. Ready to give it a try?
How to save tomato seeds:
Start with an heirloom (also called open pollinated or non-hybrid) tomato plant. Due to the design of their flower, tomatoes do not cross pollinate readily, so seed saved from an heirloom tomato will grow the same tomato when planted the following year. Hybrid tomatoes have been artificially cross pollinated and will not produce the same plants that the seeds were saved from if they grow at all. If this is an emergency survival garden, go ahead and save those seeds and try to grow them the next year. They might produce something. Otherwise, stick to saving seeds from heirloom tomatoes.
Pick and wash fully ripe tomatoes (a little overripe is okay also).
Cut tomatoes through the middle to expose the seeds.
Squeeze the seeds and surrounding gel into a bowl.
If you are working with small tomatoes, they can be placed whole into a blender and mixed into a paste at low speed without damaging the seeds.
Add as much water as tomato (so you end up with twice the volume you started with) and allow the mixture to sit and ferment for 2-3 days. Too little water and the seed goo may dry into tomato leather, too much water and it won’t ferment properly. Mold may form on the surface and it will stink (you know that rotten tomato smell?), so your fermenting bowl is best kept where it won’t get spilled!
Once the seeds have sunk to the bottom and separated from the gel, drain the water and gel off the top and strain and wash the seeds.
Lay the seeds out to dry on a glass or hard plastic plate or cookie sheet.
They are ready to store when they snap instead of flexing when bent. Store in a cool, dry place to plant next year! Go ahead and give it a try with your tomatoes this year.
Keep preparing! Angela
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Great post! I was wondering what you store your seeds in– could we possibly vacuum seal them?
I store mine in either mason jars or little mylar bags. Vacuum sealed would work as well. You want an airtight container and then store them in a cool, dry, dark environment.