Things You'll Need:
- Apple seeds
- Paper towel
- Plastic bag (recloseable)
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Step 1
Remove the seeds from the core of the apple by slicing the apple in half, lengthwise. The seeds are housed in five cellulose-type compartments called carpels. Remove the seeds that are full and ripe, discarding any that were cut or shriveled.
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Step 2
Rinse the seeds under cold running water. This is easy to do if you place the seeds in a fine-meshed metal strainer. The water will remove any apple meat and juice that might cause mold to grow during the stratification process.
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Step 3
Place the rinsed apple seeds in the middle of a paper towel. They should have enough water to dampen the paper towel slightly. Fold the towel in half four times and slide into a plastic recloseable bag.
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Step 4
Close the plastic bag and place it in your refrigerator's vegetable drawer. You will need to let the seeds stratify, which simply means that they need to go through a period of cold before germination. Let them sit undisturbed for about six weeks.
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Step 5
Check the seeds at the end of the six weeks by carefully unfolding the paper towel. Make sure the seeds are sprouting. If not, fold the paper towel back up and set it back in the refrigerator for another week before checking again. Only about a third of the seeds will sprout, so start with plenty.
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Step 6
Plant the sprouted seeds carefully as they should be ready to grow. Typically they will not produce the same quality of apples that they were harvested from, but they will grow into apple trees with fruit suitable for cider, apple butter, jelly and possibly eating fresh from the tree.
