Fermenting the pips from tomatoes for seed?

[smallblueplanet]

"...fermenting the pips from tomatoes for seed..." I've just read Flum posting this on an unrelated thread - I'm thinking about some of our toms that I bought as plants that I want to save seeds from....

I just thought I could pick a ripe tom and scrape the seeds out. Leave them to dry on a piece of kitchen roll, and then when dry pop 'em in a pkt?

Whats with fermenting them please? What is the best way to save tom seeds? How ripe do the toms have to be?

[lynda66]

i stuck mine in water squished them around for a couple of days to get rid of the goo, then left them to dry on kitchen roll ........ looks like i will have to cut the kitchen roll up to plant them though, cos they all kinda welded themselves to it .... so i'm guessing that wasn't the right way lol ....... worked well with kiwis and melons though

[smallblueplanet]

Doh! Answered my own question!

Vegetable Seeds : Bush Tomato Seed

At the bottom of the page...

...the seed and juice squeezed into a jar & let ferment for 3 days (no more, no less!)

Good seeds sink and bad ones float.

(And, yes, it is supposed to be mouldy & smelly)

Water is added and poured off several times to clean them, the seed is rinsed in a sieve and put on a plate to dry.

[Hans Mum]

"...
I just thought I could pick a ripe tom and scrape the seeds out. Leave them to dry on a piece of kitchen roll, and then when dry pop 'em in a pkt?

thats what i was gonna do too....will watch space for more info

[Flummery]

I've always had great success with the scraping out and placing on kitchen roll method. The first tom I saved - and the only one for many years - was Green Zebra. When spaced out onto kitchen paper, you can imagine why my son used to refer to them as Green Bogies!

However, I'm trying the fermentation method this year. I must admit, they look more like commercial seeds and if you are swapping them with people, it's purely a cosmetic choice. They look at bit better!

Both work.

[SarzWix]

Apparently the fermenting bit gets rid of more of that jellyish stuff, which is a germination inhibitor, and also kills off any diseases.

[Wren]

I have one plant that is doing me very proud this year in fruit and advance on other plants. I will have a go and save some seed and see what i get next year,

It cant be any worse than the flippin 'sub artic plenty'...what a let down that is.

Wren

[Jimmy]

Apparently they get lots of tomatoes down at the sewage farm.
Which leads me to think ......
No, lets not go there !
Jim

[Flummery]

.... that stomach acid removed the gel?

[lynda66]

....... that the best way to grow tomatoes is to eat some, then poop where you want the tomatoes to grow?

[mcsee]

It's a very simple task to save the seeds from your tomato. You're best to let the tomato ripen fully, then cut in half and squeeze/scrape the seeds and juice into the container or glass you wish to use. I often add some water, but depends on how liquid they are. They do ferment better if placed in a darker area/cupboard, often forming a skin of mould on top, which will separate when washed. Leave for the 3 days then tip into a fine strainer and rinse under running water until all the gel is washed away. I use coffee filter paper to spread the seed on to dry, then place in your envelope or vial and label.

[Phreddy]

Hi Manda,
There are lots of ways to save seed. I have done them all:
Simplest especially for a few is to pop them on a napkin or other paper - I have used newspaper, tissue kitchen and toilet.
The quickest way is to pop in a drop of 'Oxy' something, there are lots about. Stir them leave for half hour, rinse. I even used 'CIF' surface cleaner, just to see. They are growing at this minute.
Fermentation, of course.

You should see the ground where I grew toms last year, it is covered. 4 sorts that I can identify.

Bearing in mind the sewerage posts, when railway trains simply dropped their 'refuse' on the track we often had tomatos grow in the middle of the track.

Do what you like with your seed saving, your chances are high to suceed. Growing the little buggers is quite another thing. I lost loads this year even though they sprouted.

[smallblueplanet]

...Bearing in mind the sewerage posts, when railway trains simply dropped their 'refuse' on the track we often had tomatos grow in the middle of the track.

Do what you like with your seed saving, your chances are high to suceed. Growing the little buggers is quite another thing. I lost loads this year even though they sprouted.

Thanks Phreddy. I was thinking about having some seeds to swap as well, in which case some methods are more viable than others!

You're right though, sprouting is no problem, growing on successfully is....