How To Save Tomato Seeds - Stage 2

Now that your seeds have had a chance to ferment a bit (which is important to help prevent diseases, so don't skip that step!), you can now get them out of that goopy, watery mixture, so they can dry. Yay!

Step 1: First, you want to take the cover off, of course. You're looking for a sort of grimy layer on top.

Step 2: Carefully remove this grimy layer. It'll be thin. Make sure not to grab any seeds, which should have sunk to the bottom, mostly. 

Step 3: Once the layer is removed, you are going to start the separating process. You'll need a sieve of some kind that has tiny, tiny holes - you don't want the seeds to wash right through! I was nervous the holes of mine were too big for these seeds, so I put a paper towel on top and poured water over it. I squeezed the water out and picked out any big tomato-ey clumps. 

Then, I put a small, clear plastic plate underneath the sieve, and slipped the seeds out of the towel and directly into the sieve. 

Give it a good rinse and make sure you've got nothing but seeds left!

Step 4: Carefully move the seeds onto wax paper or towel on a plate and spread them into an even layer - none of the seeds should overlap each other. 

Step 5: Let them dry. It'll take about a week (a few days more if it's a rainy week) to dry completely. You'll need to move them around each day so they dry on both sides completely. 

Take a moment to admire those little guys. One day they will grow into nice big tomato plants that'll give you lots of yummy tomatoes....hopefully.

Happy seed saving! One more stage after this when we get to store them until next year!

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