Re: Saving pumpkin seeds
"ed lenning" <edl@wcnet.org> wrote:
> How is a good way to harvest seeds from a pumpkin and save them; also how
is a
> good way to store them. And how long will they keep? Thanks
> Ed USA
Take them out of the fruit and rinse them with water, getting off as much of
the pumpkin mush as you can. Pat them dry with a towel, and lay them out in
a single layer on a cookie tray to dry, moving them around each day for a
week or so to prevent mold. Let them dry like this for a few weeks until the
outer seed coat dries enough to fall off. Then keep them in a sealed
container in a fairly cool dry place, like a closet. They will last a few
to 5 or more years like this. For longer life (8-10 years??), they can also
be frozen.
Some people add a bit of bleach to the water when they wash them. Better
(less chance of mold) than a cookie baking tray is a home made drying rack
made from wood and "hardware cloth" metal screening- basically a cookie
sheet with a screen bottom- since it allows air underneath.
-Rick I., growing near Rochester, NY
http://home.rochester.rr.com/srinz/rickspkins.html
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