Saving Tomato Seeds Questions

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Salt... Watch how long you ferment the cherry seeds. For me, I have found the smaller the seeds, as long as you have a mat, not to ferment them to long as they will start to sprout if water temps in cup are right.

First time fermenting the currant seeds. Teeniest things I ever saw. Four days and the whole batch had sprouted. Have to redo some now. Glad I didn't eat all of them.

I don't know how you processed you currant fruits, but all I ever did was to squish the individual berries, yes, very time consuming, and add a wee amount of water and the skins would burst liberating all the seeds, more seeds than you'd ever want from a currant variety.

How many squished ones did I put in my pint containers I don't know, just kept doing it and at first they float, looking just like someone would see if bobbing for apples.

Carolyn

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by carolyn137

I don't know how you processed you currant fruits, but all I ever did was to squish the individual berries, yes, very time consuming, and add a wee amount of water and the skins would burst liberating all the seeds, more seeds than you'd ever want from a currant variety.

How many squished ones did I put in my pint containers I don't know, just kept doing it and at first they float, looking just like someone would see if bobbing for apples.

Carolyn

I'll give that a try. Thanks. You would have been shaking your head at me when I did the first tomato. I had it up above the glass and squished. Aggg that thing popped and I was covered in gelled seeds. What a mess. And your right, so many seeds in even just one of them tomatoes.

I'm going to do more currants here in a bit and follow your method and hopefully have better luck.

[AlittleSalt]

Time for the next question

What do you do when there are a smaller amount of seeds? The two jars are a Kerr pint canning jar and the little one is a Wyler's Chicken Bouillon Jar. Should I add water to the seeds or leave it as is? Oh, the plant is no longer in the garden - so no chance of getting more tomatoes from it.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

Time for the next question

What do you do when there are a smaller amount of seeds? The two jars are a Kerr pint canning jar and the little one is a Wyler's Chicken Bouillon Jar. Should I add water to the seeds or leave it as is? Oh, the plant is no longer in the garden - so no chance of getting more tomatoes from it.

You could add a Tablespoon or 2 without doing much harm, I personally would leave it in the small jar and ferment as is for 3-5 days without adding water, just look for the fungal mat, which can be good after 3 days. If no mat forms, dont leave them any longer than 7.
Here's ContainerTed's step by step with photos and complete instructions at Tatiana's.
http://tatianastomatobase.com/wiki/A...g_Fermentation

[AlittleSalt]

Thank you Marsha. Thanks for the link too.

[seaeagle]

It's my opinion that Container Ted's Guide to Saving Seeds is the ultimate seed saving guide, bar none.Explains everything in detail with pictures for every step

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by seaeagle

It's my opinion that Container Ted's Guide to Saving Seeds is the ultimate seed saving guide, bar none.Explains everything in detail with pictures for every step

Thanks, seaeagle. I wanted it to be easy to follow and generate confidence in folks who have found some confusion in all the different ways to do the process. I felt that showing the basic steps and emphasizing the goals and expected results at each stage would encourage more folks to use the fermentation method and thereby reduce the number of pathogens being passed around during swaps.

Each person who tries the process will modify one or more steps and make their way very personal to themselves. It will generate in them the confidence to do it their way. This was my goal.

[Starlight]

Originally Posted by seaeagle

It's my opinion that Container Ted's Guide to Saving Seeds is the ultimate seed saving guide, bar none.Explains everything in detail with pictures for every step

Was there a link to that information somewhere that I missed?

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Was there a link to that information somewhere that I missed?

I thought it was linked, but that was another thread. Here it is.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...g_Fermentation

Hope it helps

[Starlight]

Thanks Ted! Off to go check it out and learn something new.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

I thought it was linked, but that was another thread. Here it is.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...g_Fermentation

Hope it helps

I posted it in this thread a few clicks above. It is the best seed saving by fermentation guide I have ever seen. I have posted the link many times, and referred friends to it many times. Thank you again for taking the time and trouble to do this.

[Starlight]

Great tutorial Ted! Learned a couple of new things. I've never tried the bleaching part before. Gonna give it a try.

Is the bleach and water ratio the same no matter how many seeds you have in your container?

[ContainerTed]

Originally Posted by Starlight

Great tutorial Ted! Learned a couple of new things. I've never tried the bleaching part before. Gonna give it a try.

Is the bleach and water ratio the same no matter how many seeds you have in your container?

Yes, you need to keep the 5 to 1 ratio and only allow the seeds in the mix for about 1 or 2 minutes, followed by a really good rinse. AND, don't forget, it is VERY important to put in the water first if you are mixing in the container that holds the seeds. Don't subject the seeds to straight bleach.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

I thought it was linked, but that was another thread. Here it is.

http://t.tatianastomatobase.com:88/w...g_Fermentation

Hope it helps

Ted, I know very well that you posted your seed saving method here at Tville several years ago.I just tried to find it and no luck but I bet you can find it.

I didn't know that it was also now at Tania's website, but when I'm there about 90% of the time I'm looking for info on specific varieties and maybe 10 % of the time looking for tomatoes from different countries.

Carolyn

[ContainerTed]

Carolyn, I only posted it at Tatianna's. I offered to post it here, but you replied that you and Mischka rejected the idea of only one method being posted. If that has changed, then I will do a minor update and post it here as long as you make it a "Sticky". I'm even willing to do a complete "redo" if you'all think it will help. My garden is starting to produce a lot of fruit and this would be a really good opportunity to have plenty of jars of fermenting seeds.