Simple Seed Saving
Did you ever hear the story about the restaurateur who declined to provide his hard-to-find heirloom tomato seeds for Martha Stewart's garden? Not ready to give up, Martha dined at one of his restaurants and ordered the heirloom tomato salad... and, as you might guess, did a quick save of the seeds she'd been wanting. Pretty ingenious, huh?
You may not be Martha, but you can still try your hand at saving seeds. And, what do you know! It's already that time of year again - time to select the best-tasting and healthiest tomatoes and save a few seeds so you're sure to have some of your faves next year.
Simple Seed Saving:
Though there are many ways to save tomato seeds, I've found this simple technique works best:
Choose tomatoes that are fully ripe and from plants that have produced well and thrived in your garden.
Label a paper towel with a spot for each variety of seeds you want to save. Believe me, you'll be glad you labelled before the next step.
Now smear the seeds onto a paper towel under their respective labels and allow to completely air dry for several days.
Next, put them in plastic bags for storage. (I don't typically seal the bag since the seeds are secure, and this avoids any chance of mold later.)