Saving Your Tomato Seeds

This year I grew some amazing little yellow tomatoes, called Snow White Cherry Tomatoes. They were an heirloom cherry tomato and so tasty. I decided to save the seeds. Did you know that Tomato seeds are one of the easiest seeds to save other than beans! Most tomato plants will not cross with another tomato due to their retracted styles. (Remember those plant parts from Biology?)

The first step in saving tomato seeds is to cut the tomato in half.

Squeeze the tomato into a container, I used a pint size mason jar.

To aid in the seed separation I added about a cup of water to the tomato mixture.

Each tomato seed is encased in a gelatinous sack. The gel in these sacks contains chemicals that inhibit seed germination. This is why the seeds don’t sprout while in the tomato! In nature the tomatoes fall off the plant and begin to rot. Eventually the fruits totally rot away leaving the seeds on the surface ready to sprout when the conditions are right.

In my cup of tomato seeds and water a layer of fungus will grow across the surface. Once the mold is growing across the surface I pour the seeds, liquid and fungus into a strainer. The seeds are washed clean by rubbing the mixture against the strainer under running water. Once the seeds are washed clean place them in a coffee filter or on a paper towel. Tomato seeds tend to stick to paper towels, the coffee filters work better at wicking away the moisture and allowing the seeds to completely dry.

Once the seeds are dry store them in a container in a cool, dark place.Be sure to label your seeds! In the spring you will have your own tomato seeds to grow!Linked to many of my favorite blog parties (see side bar). Also linked to: