A Guide to How to Save Tomato Seeds
The hearts of the tangy-taste lovers leap up in joy while talking about tomatoes. Whether in a salad or in the curry, it always adds much to the overall taste of the dish. You can even try different unique dishes with it. For example, you can cook simple tomato soup. Also, you can prepare tasty, savory tomato pickle. For health benefits, it is a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, potassium, folate, etc. Tomato is also used for skin care and other necessary purposes. With its anti-inflammatory nature, it is used for homemade remedies to cure under-eye bags and other various issues.
Harvesting tomatoes on your own is a good option. With this, you can get an ample amount of fresh tomatoes in your own garden. It saves your efforts and costs to go to the market. And the best part is, in your own garden you are free to choose the fertilizers and pesticides.
Usually, tomatoes are grown from seedlings. The seeds are collected from the ripe tomatoes. Then they are nurtured well. And finally, they grow into small plants. However, saving the seeds is important. It ensures that you get the same kind of tomatoes every season. The taste you received from the tomatoes of the last season will continue for the next season as well. So, here is a brief guide on how to save tomato seeds.
When to pick up the Tomato Seeds for saving
Before delving into the process of saving the seeds you first must know about the right time for picking up the seeds. Otherwise, you may not get the right kind of harvest even if you save the seeds with all your attention and effort. So, take the tomatoes only when they are fully ripe. And make sure that the tomatoes are in proper condition. Only ripe and disease-free tomatoes are the best to preserve for seed-saving. You can pick up the tomatoes in mid-summer time.
For instant harvesting, mostly, people preserve the seeds indoors during early spring. There, they are nurtured for 6 to 8 weeks to become proper seedlings. Once the seeds turn into seedlings, they are planted outside. After two months, tomatoes are produced.
So, now, you know the right time to pick up the tomatoes for saving the seeds. Let’s focus on how to save tomato seeds.
Steps of how to save tomato seeds
When it comes to how to save tomato seeds, some steps must be followed. If the steps are not followed properly, you may not get the right kind of fruits. So, let’s know about the steps. This will guide you about how to save tomato seeds.
- First, wash the tomatoes properly with cold water. it will help to remove the unnecessary dirt from the body of the tomatoes.
- If there is any smashed or damaged part, cut it down ASAP.
- Now, after this, you can follow different ways to gather the seeds. Some use the simple method of squeezing the tomatoes into a paper towel. Then, they spread it out. And expose it to the sunlight to get dry. When the towel becomes dry, it is folded and stored in an envelope for further use. You can also go for the fermentation process to gather the seeds.
The Steps for the Fermentation Process:
Fermentation is one of the best ways to save tomato seeds. When you gather seeds by squeezing the fruit, gelatinous substances remain with the seeds. But the fermentation process removes away the gelatinous covering from the seeds. It also helps to treat some of the seed-borne diseases of tomatoes. So, let’s know how to save tomato seeds through the fermentation process.
- Sort out the fully ripe tomatoes and cut them open.
- Squeeze the tomato pulp, juice, and seeds into a container. Well, if you are strong enough to crush the tomatoes by hand, you can do it. Take a suitable container and crush the tomatoes in it.
- Close the container with a lid. Remember not to add water. Water dilutes the mixture and fermentation does not happen properly.
- Now, label the container and keep it aside for three days at a temperature less than 21°C.
- Do not forget to stir the fermenting juices once or twice daily. It allows submerging the pulpy material.
- After three days, collect the juices and pour the whole mixture into a larger container. Then add water into it. Pour off the pulpy water leaving the storable seeds at the bottom of the container. Continue the process twice or thrice to clean the seeds properly.
- Now, you can collect the seeds and store them for future use. Keep the seeds in a cool, dry place away from sunlight.
Bottom line
So, these are the steps on how to save tomato seeds. If you do not have time for fermentation you can go for the simple process of squeezing the tomatoes in a paper towel and gathering the seeds. However, fermentation is a long yet effective process of saving the seeds. When you save the seeds properly it remains intact for nearly 6 years or more. Nonetheless, choose your preferred process and go on with it.
