Re: keeping seeds

Isabelle, Here's how I save tomato seed.  I cut the tomato through the
equator and squeeze out pulp into a plastic cup.  If it's a very unjuicy
tomato, I add a small amount of water, then let it all sit for several days
until a moldy scum forms over the top.  It smells quite bad, so don't keep
it in the house.  Then I rinse the seeds and scum, pouring off everything
that floats, including those seeds that float--they aren't viable.  Finally
I pour what's left through a fine sieve and spread the seeds on a plate,
separating them with the point of a knife.  They dry in a day or two.
    I don't know if you should wash them at this point, but if you can rip
off most of the paper, I don't think it will hurt germination.  BTW, the
reason one is supposed to ferment the seed first has to do with increasing
its viability.
Merri Morgan
Zone 5b, WB
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Isabelle Hayes" <bhayes@catskill.net>
To: "perennials" <perennials@mallorn.com>
Sent: Friday, October 31, 2003 10:10 AM
Subject: keeping seeds


> Greetings:  I've saved seeds of several varieties of tomato that I like,
> but this was the first time I've done that, and I let them dry on paper
> towels, so now some of the paper is still attached to some of the seeds;
>
> I have learned not to put green tomatoes away for ripening with any stem
> attached, as that's what I found always got moldy and affected the
> fruit;
>
> so I wonder if I should move heaven and earth to get the paper off the
> seed.
>
> And if I washed the seed to get it off, would that be all right, as long
> as I dry it well before I put it away for the winter?
>
> Any suggestions are eagerly awaited.
>
> TIA
>
> Isabelle Hayes
>
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