How to Save Tomato Seeds

Late summer is the time of year when gardeners start thinking about saving seeds and making room for a fall garden. Seed saving can be very easy and helpful in many ways. It can help cut the cost of growing your own food drastically and make your garden more sustainable. If you have a tomato that grew well and is full of flavor, you might like to save the seeds from one year to the next.

An important aspect of saving seeds to think about is cross pollination. The wind, insects or any other pollinator can change how similar next year’s tomato will be from this year’s if you’re growing more than one variety close to each other. This could be a good and a bad thing, depending on what your expectations are. You could end up developing your own tasty variety!

The Process

Saving tomato seeds is a little different from other vegetables and fruit. With tomatoes, you have to use the fermentation process, and you only need a few fruits. 

Cut your tomato in half and squeeze out the seeds into a glass jar. Fill the jar with an inch or two of water, then cover it with a napkin or coffee filter and a lid. Let it sit for a few days. This will help rid the seeds of the gel-like substance that covers them and protects them from germination and animals. After a few days, pour the seeds into a strainer, then onto a paper towel to dry.

And there you have it: tomato seeds for next year!