Where whimsy, art and heirloom seeds grow together...
Illustrator & Author Rebecca Stouffer
Saving your tomato seeds...
When I first started saving heirloom seeds, it sometimes seemed intimidating with all the information out there. Especially when it came to saving tomato seeds. But, guess what? It's very easy as you will soon discover. My mom tells of how she remembers watching her grandmother simply taking the seeds out of the tomato and laying them on a paper towel to dry... No soaking, just laying them out to dry. And, the next Spring, she'd get tomato plants from those seeds! But, here is the method I now use:
Pick out the BEST looking, largest tomato of the variety you want to save. The idea is to get the highest quality seed for planting next Spring, so you want one with the attributes you're looking to save. Once you pick the fruit, let it set to ripen well. When ripe, simply cut the tomato and gently scrape out the seeds. With cherry tomatoes, I usually just squeeze the fruit and the seeds come forth easily. You can do this over a glass fruit jar of your choice. Now cover the seeds and pulp with water, label and let set for about 2 to 3 days until a slight mold appears. This fermentation helps dissolve the gelatinous coating. Now rinse the seeds thoroughly and put on a plate to dry. This is the point where my cupboards fill up with numerous plates... Labeling and dating is key at this point so you don't mix up the varieties. Once the seeds are completely dry, you can store them in an envelope or smaller jar with a lid. Always store your seeds in a cool, dry place until ready to plant. If I have the seeds in an envelope I then store them in an old lard tin so that critters can't get at them over the winter.
Just a note: Don't be fooled by the idea that seeds don't germinate after a year. For example, I planted tomato seeds that were collected by my Grandma's friend, Evelyn... They had to be close to 12 years old or more when they fell into my hands. They still germinated and I keep them going every other season or so. The tomato? It's called 'Evelyn's Cherry Tomato' and is a larger blush pink colored variety that's great for stuffing. My grandma always told me that they came up every year in Evelyn's compost pile. Imagine!
