How to Store Collected Roma Tomato Seeds

Buying Roma tomato seeds or seedlings each year can become expensive, offsetting the money you save by growing your own. The seeds of Roma tomatoes are easily grown, and just as easily propagated. Collecting the seeds from one generation of Roma tomatoes for planting the next year is simple and cost-efficient. If you use recycled materials such as baby food jars for storage, it saves you even more.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Roma tomatoes
• Large plastic bowl
• Water
• Mesh strainer
• Cloth or paper towels
• Small envelopes
• Glass jars with tight-fitting lids

1. Harvest the Roma tomatoes you will use for seeds when they begin to turn ripe. Darrel Jones, owner of Selected Plants in Hamilton, Alabama, recommends harvesting them at a point when they are fully red but still a little firm. If the tomato is too ripe or not ripe enough, the seeds can be difficult to take out.

2. Extract the seeds from the harvested Roma tomatoes. Hold the tomato over the bowl and squeeze out the seeds and gel coating. Discard or eat the flesh.

3. Ferment the seeds to rid them of the gel. According to John Jett, Extension Specialist in Horticulture of West Virginia University Extension Service, the gel coating prevents the seeds from sprouting while still inside the tomato. He recommends covering the seeds with water and letting the container of seeds stand at room temperature for three days. Fermentation will occur and mold will form on the water's surface. Remove this mold, add more water and stir. Repeat this process until no gel coating is left.

4. Strain and rinse the seeds to make sure no gel is left then spread them out on cloth or paper towels to dry thoroughly.

5. Separate the seeds into the envelopes and label them. Use regular envelopes or make them from newspaper or other recycled paper.

6. Store the seeds in the airtight jars. Make sure they stay dry throughout storage. Jett suggests putting a small fabric bag under the packets that contains a half-cup of powdered milk. Store the jars in the freezer to avoid mold and insects.

Tips & Warnings

• Ferment the seeds outdoors because of the strong odor. Labels for the seeds should include year of harvest and any other growing characteristics you want to remember for future growing.
• Do not collect every seed. Seeds that are difficult to remove from the tomato probably are not viable.

References

• Selected Plants
• John Jett, WVU

Resources

• Several articles on growing tomatoes