How to Save Seed From Your Garden Produce

Saving seeds from your home garden produce or from purchased organic produce ensures quality organic seeds for next year's seedlings. Collecting seeds is free and saves money when starting the Spring garden.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Quality Produce
• Paring Knife
• Scrap paper or newspaper
• Large needle and string
• envelopes or storage bags
• Air-tight container
• Pen for labeling

1. 
   Pulpy produce seeds, such as these tomatoes can be placed on a towel to dry

   Choose good, mature produce free of abnormalities, even over-ripe or damaged produce works well. The genetic quality is what's important.
   Carefully slice the produce to reveal the seeds within.

2. 
   Mature peas or beans, once dried can be shelled out of their pods and stored in an envelope or baggie.

   Scrape the seeds onto the paper, or towel to dry thoroughly, usually two to three days. Snap beans or peas can be hung to dry in a sunny window or airy pantry using the needle and thread to create a "necklace" of bean pods. Peas and beans take longer to dry, usually one to two weeks.

3. 
   Save collected seeds or purchase end of the year bargain seeds for next year's garden.

   Label the envelope or baggie with veg. name and date. Store the envelope in an air-tight container in the freezer. Seeds stored in the freezer with stay viable for a couple of years.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't worry about pulp on the seed, once dried the pulp will crumble away.
• Save more seeds than you expect to need, trade with other collectors.
• Place your drying seeds in an out of the way spot.
• Dried seeds will stick to the paper or cloth, just scrape gently, they'll break free.
• Of course, children shouldn't use a knife, however, involve them in the collection process.
• Dry the seeds completely.
• Use mature cucumbers, usually they'll turn yellow when mature.
• Always label, some seeds look alike, i.e. cucumbers and cantaloupe
• Separate different the varieties of the same species, such as Beefsteak from the Early Girl in tomatoes. Seeds take very little space and the temptation to fill up an envelope by putting all the tomatoes' seeds together should be avoided.