How to Get Seed From Grocery Store Fruits and Veggies

Harvest next year's garden seeds from tonight's dinner.

Frugal homeowners know that one of the best ways to save money on food is to grow your own. Really frugal homeowners take that one step further and find free seeds. Many of the fruits and vegetables brought home from the grocery store are filled with totally viable seeds, ready to be prepared for planting. Don't waste valuable potential food by throwing seeds in the garbage. Do a small amount of work to clean and dry the seeds and you'll have a supply for next season's crops.

Things You'll Need

• Large bowl
• Paper towels
• Glass jars with lids

Instructions

1. Look inside the food to inspect the seeds. Look for a good percentage of full, plump seeds and few flat ones. This means that there are a good number of seeds that will grow in that particular piece of food.

2. Cut out the seed-bearing area from the food. In most foods this will be the center portion. If the fruit has a stone instead of many seeds, remove as much fruit flesh as possible.

3. Fill a large bowl with water. Place the seeds and any connected tissue into the water and stir the contents by hand. This will loosen the seeds from any other materials. Allow the bowl to sit for a length of time, depending on the food. Peppers take just a few minutes, but tomatoes benefit from soaking for a few days.

4. Skim off any seeds or material that float to the top. Pour off the water from the seeds at the bottom of the bowl. Place the seeds on a layer of paper towels.

5. Allow the seeds to sit in a dry place, undisturbed. Wait at least 24 hours until the seeds are completely dry. Test the seeds dryness by bending one in half. If the seed breaks instead of bending, it's ready for storage.

6. Fold up the paper towel with the seeds inside. Place it inside a clean glass jar. Screw the lid on the jar tightly and store it in a cool, dark place such as a storage shelf or refrigerator.

Tips & Warnings

• Foods such as peas, green beans and strawberries that don't bear seeds can be planted at the same time they are harvested. Become familiar with your favorite foods to find out which ones you can use.

• Use organic vegetables for the best chance of getting a a large amount of viable seeds.

• Many vegetables in the grocery store are grown from hybrid seeds. Although these seeds will grow, the odds are good that you will end up with a different sort of food from the one you bought, as hybrid traits don't usually breed true to the next generation.

References

• Vegetable Seed Saving Handbook: Harvesting Your Seeds
• University of California; Vegetable Seed Saving; November 2008