How to Save Tomato Seeds in 8 Simple Steps

How to Save Tomato Seeds

An individual tomato often has 100 or more seeds. Once you know how to save tomato seeds, the time spent will yield enough seeds for you and some for your neighbors. Save seeds properly following this simple step-by-step plan, and you can expect your collected seeds to produce robust tomato plants for several years after the seeds are initially harvested.

Tomato seed saving involves fermentation. The fermentation process prepares tomato seeds for storage by producing antibiotics that help control seed-borne diseases. Fermentation also promotes a protective seed coat that will prevent the seeds from germinating until they are planted. Don't skip the fermenting step because it's vital to saving tomato seeds.

1. Choose a Perfect Tomato

   The best fruit will yield the best seeds. Allow tomatoes to fully ripen on the vine, and select a large, unblemished fruit with a pleasing shape and color.

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2. Wash and Cut

   Good hygiene will go a long way toward giving you the best tomato seeds. Thoroughly wash the tomato and allow it to air dry. Cut the fruit in half along the center.

3. Remove the Seeds

   Using a small spoon or your fingers, gently scoop the seeds from the tomato cavities into a small jar. The seeds will be coated with a jelly-like material. Pulp and liquid will likely end up in the jar too. The seed-pulp mixture is perfect for fermentation.

4. Cover the Jar and Ferment

   Cover the jar of seed-pulp mixture with a paper towel or coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Label the jar if you're saving more than one variety of tomato seeds. Leave the jar in a warm location, ideally between 60 and 70℉, for three days.

5. Stir Mixture Once a Day

   Gently stir the mixture once a day to dislodge the jelly-like material around the tomato seeds. Don't be surprised if a white fungus appears on top of the mixture after a few days. This helpful fungus will consume the jelly, preparing the seeds for storage.

6. Separate the Seeds From the Pulp

   After three days, fill the jar with warm water and allow the seeds to settle to the bottom of the jar. Gently pour out the water along with tomato pulp and any seeds that float. The viable seeds are heavy and will sink to the bottom of the jar. Repeat the process of filling the jar with warm water, allowing seeds to settle, and pouring out the water and debris until the discarded water is nearly clear.

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7. Dry Seeds

   Pour seeds into a strainer, allowing excess water to drip out. Then, spread the seeds on a paper plate or newspaper. Allow seeds to dry at room temperature in a well-ventilated place for several days. Stir the seeds daily with your fingers to separate them and promote even drying.

8. Store in a Cool, Dry Place

   Place dry seeds in a labeled container or bag. The best storage place is cool, dry, and dark. A cabinet is ideal. Seeds don't need to be refrigerated.

Seeds from Heirloom vs. Hybrid Tomatoes

Not all tomatoes have seeds that will grow into plants that look (or taste) like their parent. Modern hybrids like 'Big Boy' and 'Celebrity' are created from two unique parent plants. For example, the seeds that a hybrid tomato plant produces will not result in another 'Celebrity' tomato plant. Instead, the seed will likely yield a small, inferior fruit on a rangy plant. Avoid disappointment, and don't save seeds from hybrid tomatoes.

Heirloom tomato plants, on the other hand, do produce seed that is exactly like the parent plant most of the time. Heirloom tomatoes rarely cross-breed with other tomatoes, so they create uniform fruit from generation to generation. If you are unsure if your tomato plant is an heirloom or a hybrid, do a quick online search of the variety name.