Saving and storing tomato seeds is a simple process. Not only is it worthwhile economically (think about how many seeds are in a single tomato!!) but you can recreate and regrow that delicious tomato your friends gave you, or you grew from seed last year, or even bought and would like to grow for yourself next season.
There are two ways to save tomato seeds, one is a fermentation of the seeds, another is less involved just washing the seeds, both methods then require the seeds to be dried and stored.
COLLECTING THE TOMATO SEEDS
Method 1. Fermentation of the seeds.
Firstly, slice the tomato in half, use a spoon or your fingers to scoop out the middle of the tomato into a clean container. Add a little water to the mixture and cover it with cling film. Pierce a few holes in the top to allow the air to circulate the container.
Place the container in a warm location, but not direct sunlight and it should take two or three days. Every evening open the cling film and stir the mixture a few times. You will need to replace the cling film. The top of the mixture will begin to look scummy, this is the fermentation process which will separate the seeds from the gooey mix, allows the most healthy seeds to be collected as they sink to the bottom. Scoop off as much of the gooey mix as you can, leaving the healthy seeds in the bottom of the container, refill the container with water, stir and scoop again until the seeds are clean.
Method 2. Washing Tomato Seeds
Repeat the above process for initially collecting the tomato seeds from the tomato. The seeds then need to be washed to remove the slimy outer coating. I used a small sieve for this and run the seed mixture under running water until they are clean.
Both of the above methods result in clean tomato seeds ready for the next stage of saving.
DRYING THE TOMATO SEEDS
Lay the clean seeds in a single layer on a newspaper. The seeds are thick and can take up to a week to dry. To test of they are dry, the seeds will not be sticking to each other and and not stick to any surfaces, they will easily fall off the newspaper.
STORING THE TOMATO SEEDS
Either a plastic or paper bag can be used to store your dried tomato seeds. I personally use a paper envelope, if you are using a plastic bag the seeds really must be completely dry or moisture will build up in the plastic bag and mould can grow on the seeds. The paper bag or envelope option is less likely to cause any condensation or encourage any build up of moisture.
Make sure you label the seeds CLEARLY ready for next season, for sharing with friends, family or a seed exchange.