Squish the tomato guts into a jar while trying to keep separate the gooey bits (but not crucial).
Add distilled water (essential! You don’t want unwanted crap that comes with tap water)
Cover with loose lid or wrap with a few holes. Shake a bit to try and separate but again not necessary.
Wait 24-48 (up to 3 days or slightly longer if your ambient temperature is under room temp) hours for a slight white film to appear on top this indicates the fermentation has started.
It is now time to sieve, wash, dry and finally lay out on a plate or plastic.
The purpose of fermentation is to separate the seeds from the goo and allow the seeds to ‘not stick’.
As well, I’ve read that fermentation helps ‘winterize’ the seeds and inspires a more consistent germination.
It seems like a bit of a process but I prefer this way as just trying to separate and dry them straight from the fruit is arduous and actually more time consuming.
Fermenting allows collection of all the seeds easily;
Traditional way you’ll never get all the seeds. And if you’re anal like me, you’ll want all the seeds of your best fruit!
I’m going on my third generation of seeds 🤓
The gel has an anti-germination agent in it to prevent the seeds from sprouting while in the tomato. The fermentation creats a weak acid that strips the gel away from the seed. Dry them after and they are ready for storage.
Thanks for the added info. 👊
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