Saving seed from open pollinated tomatoes is a simple process. You can save money because you don't have to buy packaged hybrid seeds next year. For saving seeds choose open-pollinated tomato varieties, not F1 varieties.
You will need:
- Tomatoes
- Knife, spoon
- Paper towel
- Glass jar
- Sieve
- paper plate
- Paper envelope
Step 1: Choose a couple of healthy tomatoes. When the tomatoes are very ripe, pick them off the plant.
Step 2: Halve the tomatoes and scoop the seeds out into a shallow jar of water. Cover with paper towel. The seeds are purified using a simple wet fermentation process. This is necessary in order to remove the gelatinous coating ont he tomato seed, which can prevents germination.
Step 3: Fermentation is complete when the seeds sink to the bottom of the jar. Pour the seeds into a sieve and wash them thoroughly with water.
Step 4: Arrange the seeds on paper plate to dry out. Paper towels are not suitable for this purpose. Once the seeds have dried out thoroughly, store them in a paper envelope in a dark, cool place until spring. Make sure they’re clearly labelled.