Seeds for Generations (@SeedsforGenerations)

Want to save your own tomato seeds? Here's how: First, label your containers BEFORE you get started, so you can keep track of what varieties you've saved where. Next, cut open the fruit. Squeeze the seeds and juice out, though it helps to pull the seeds out of the cavities with your finger to ensure you get as many as possible. Tomato seeds have a gelatinous coating on them that inhibits germination, so to remove that coating and ensure good germination in the future, they need to be fermented, which will loosen and separate the seeds so they can be isolated and dried well. This mimics the process in nature where a fruit drops to the ground and rots, which accomplishes the same process, though not as thoroughly as our process of saving tomato seeds will. To do this, put your seeds and juice in a container at room temperature and leave it for about 3 days or until a white mold begins to form on the top. (If the tomato did not have much juice and the seeds are not submerged in liquid, add some water to ensure that they don’t dry out during the fermentation process.) After about 3 days, your next step is cleaning the saved tomato seeds, which we do by adding water to separate the good seeds from the non-viable seeds and remaining flesh at the surface. Stir well and let the seeds settle to the bottom, then pour off the gunk at the top. Repeat 2-3 times or until you only have seeds in clear water. Finally, pour the seeds into a sieve or screen and let them dry completely. Once dry, put them into a properly marked envelope and store them in a dry, cool, preferably dark place. #tomato #savingseeds #seedsaving #heirloomtomatoes