How to Save Seeds From a Tomato

Collect and store tomato seeds for free produce in the coming seasons.

With prices of supermarket produce going up and quality going down, it is no wonder why so many homeowners grow their own tomatoes. Growing tomatoes at home from previously collected seeds is another way to provide your family and loved ones with healthy produce -- free from chemical pesticides -- for almost no money. By harvesting homegrown tomatoes and collecting the interior seeds, gardeners produce inexpensive and healthy tomato crops for years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp paring knife
• Clean bowl
• Spoon
• Paper towel
• Strainer
• Paper plate
• Glass baby jar
• Black marker

Instructions

1. Collect ripe tomatoes from the vine. Lay all the collected tomatoes out on a flat surface, and choose the best-looking ones. Do not use tomatoes with bruises or insect holes for collecting seeds.

2. Lay the tomato on a flat cutting surface with the stem end facing up. Take a sharp paring knife and slice the tomato in half vertically. Hold one half of the tomato over a clean bowl, and use a spoon to scrape the seeds and pulp into the bowl. Repeat with the other half of the tomato.

3. Pour enough water into the bowl to cover the tomato seeds and pulp by at least 2 to 3 inches. Place one paper towel over the bowl and set it in a warm location away from direct sunlight. While the seeds are fermenting inside the bowl, they might emit a strong, unpleasant odor. Sit the bowl somewhere where the aroma will not be offensive.

4. Allow the seeds to ferment for two to four days. When the contents of the bowl develops a sludge on top, remove the paper towel, and scoop the sludge and any floating tomato seeds out with the spoon.

5. Hold a strainer over the kitchen sink, and pour in the contents of the bowl. Rinse the tomato seeds off with lukewarm water.

6. Empty the tomato seeds onto a clean paper plate, spreading them out so they do not touch each other. Place the paper plate in a well-ventilated area, out of direct sunlight.

7. Move the tomato seeds around once per day for five to seven days to ensure all surfaces of the tomato seeds receive proper air circulation. When the tomato seeds freely rattle around on the paper plate, they are ready for storage.

8. Pour the tomato seeds into a clean, glass baby jar. Label the glass jar with a black marker, noting the date and variety of the tomato seeds. Secure the lid onto the glass, jar and store it in a cool, dry and dark closet or pantry.

Tips & Warnings

• By selecting the best-looking and tasting tomatoes to collect the seeds from, you are ensuring next season's plants will produce the finest tomatoes with the best genes.

• The recommended amount of time to store tomato seeds is one year, or until the next season's planting time. It is possible to keep tomato seeds under airtight conditions for up to 50 years, but the longer the seeds are stored, the rate of viable seeds decreases.

References

• Planet Green; How to Save Tomato Seeds; Colleen Vanderlinden; August 18, 2009
• The Daily Green; The Best Deal in Garden Seed Saving -- Tomatoes; Leslie Land; September 29, 2007
• Tomato Casual; Preserving Seeds - Part 1; Tomato Queen; August 27, 2007