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Tomato seeds
are available in hundreds of different varieties from gardening catalogs, online, and from nurseries and garden centers. However, the very best tomato seeds are heirloom varieties that are handed down in families from generation to generation. These heirloom tomato seeds from gardeners and farmers around the world have unique qualities that produce very colorful, tasteful fruit.
If you grow a delicious tomato that you are particularly fond of and would like to save your own seeds, it is an easy enough thing to do - although a little messy. First of all, take your chosen tomato and cut it in half horizontally (across its equator.) With a spoon, scoop out the seeds into a clean container. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the seeds and cover the container with a piece of plastic wrap. Poke holes in the wrap to allow for air, which helps foster fermentation. Place the container with the tomato seeds in a warm location, such as a sunny windowsill. Each night, remove the plastic wrap and stir the seeds and water mixture and then replace the plastic wrap. In about two to three days, the seeds will begin to ferment. A “gooey” surface will appear on the top of the mixture. Take a spoon and carefully remove this “gooey surface.” Place the tomato seeds in a sieve and rinse well with water. Place the clean seeds on wax paper or a coffee filter and spread them in a single layer. Let seeds dry thoroughly. The drying process can take up to a week or more. Once dry, the tomato seeds can be stored in an envelope or other paper packet.
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