How to save heirloom tomato seeds

1.      Cut one or two of the best tomatoes in half (not end to end but around the middle) and squeeze out the seeds and gel into a small container. We recommend a small canning jar with the ring.

2.      Label the jar with the type of seed and variety.

3.      Add 1/2 cup of water and swirl it around.

4.      Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel to keep out fruit flies.  Be sure to secure with either a ring if a jelly jar or rubber band to keep it in place.

5.      Store the container out of the sun, for 3 to 5 days.

6.      There will be an odor as the fermenting takes place.

7.      A mold film may form on top, which is normal.

To separate the seeds

Film of mold sealing the jars

If you covered the jar with a paper towel, carefully remove the film that has grown on top of the seed and water. There will not be a film if you used a fermenting lid.

Add more water to the jar and swish it around. The best seeds and those you want to keep will sink. If you are using a fresh tomato from the garden almost every seed will be viable.

Carefully pour off water, discard floating seeds, and the bits of pulp suspended in the liquid. Repeat this process, adding more fresh water, until all the pulp is gone and you have clean seeds.

Drain them as well as you can and spread them in a single layer on a screen or a paper plate to dry. We don’t use paper towels at our house so I patted the seed dry with a muslin kitchen towel. You can use paper towels, but I’ve heard that the seeds tend to stick to them. Plastic or ceramic plates do not work well to dry your seeds. The tomato seeds need to have the water wicked away from them and that won’t happen with plastic or ceramic. If you’re saving more than one variety, be sure to label the plates.

Let the seeds dry for five to six days at room temperature in a well-ventilated place. You may want to stir the seeds with your fingers daily to break up any that are clumped together. This will help them dry quicker.

In just a few days the seed will be completely dry and ready to go into storage. Tomato seed has a very long shelf life and once dry it doesn’t need any special care. Place the dried seed in small manila envelopes or zip lock bags.  I use old yogurt containers with lids. Be sure to label the container with the date packaged.