Tomato Seeds Fermenting On Windowsill

[WoodSprite]

I've been working on collecting and fermenting tomato seeds so I can participate in the MMMM for my first time. I have them on my shaded kitchen windowsill to ferment. I think it's pretty so I thought I'd share a photo. (I put aluminum foil on the windowsill to protect the wood.)

When I fermented some last year I covered them and didn't get the mold so I'm leaving the lids off this year. I fermented others earlier this year and haven't had any problems with flies or other insects.

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[rxkeith]

i cover mine with a lid just loosely applied. i usually get a mat formed.
by that time of year we have fruit flies, and i don't like fishing maggots
out of the seeds. helps keep the smell down too. nice to see the picture
posted. some people don't get all excited about it like we do.



keith

[wodehouse]

I cover my cups with a round coffee filter, held around the cup with a rubber band. I label the coffee filter, then after four days I rinse the seeds and pour them out onto the coffee filter which I place on a baker's kitchen rack to dry, mostly shaded. Seems to work fine! Seeds won't stick to the coffee filter, much better than paper towels.

[GoDawgs]

It's great seeing and hearing how everybody does their fermenting. Many variations on a theme!

[eyegrotom]

I leave my cups uncovered. I write the name on a piece of tape and then transfer the tape to the paper plate that I put them on to dry.

[Gardadore]

Like the coffee filter idea. Now I use paper towels to cover and any lid I can find from food cups like yogurt tops for drying. Plates need to be coated or seeds stick to the regular paper plates. They don’t stick to plastic lids.

[AKgardener]

I also just cover it with a paper towel then onto a paper plate to dry!!

[Amateurinawe]

I use little Chinese finger bowls for fermenting in, rinsed in micromesh sieve once fermented then placed onto cellophane wrap stretched tightly over small round side plates. Definitely no sticking of seed on the cellophane.

[MissS]

I have been using the coffee filter on a cup for 30 years or so. I write the variety and the date of the ferment then after the cleaning and rinse I write the date that I start drying. I will not keep anything that has not dried for less than 10 days. I have found that if the seeds are not 'hard' dried then germination is poor.

[Labradors]

I only save small amounts so I use little shot glasses that don't take up a lot of room on my windowsill. I cover them with plastic wrap to keep out any fruit flies, and I get the mold mat. Like eyegrowtom, I label with a little piece of masking tape and transfer it when I put them on a little glass plate to dry.

Linda

[WoodSprite]

Thanks for sharing your methods.

When I was doing 2 or 3 jars at a time, I didn't notice much of a smell. I currently have the 9 jars in the photo plus 2 more that I started yesterday. I can smell them now. LOL! I have them partially covered now.

I didn't add water to them, just lots of juice. It's cool to see how the clear liquid has settled to the bottom in some jars but not others.

After I rinse and strain them, I move them from the 8 oz jelly jars to open plastic food storage containers with more surface area. When they are slightly dry (after a few hours or the next day), I break apart any seeds that are clinging together and leave them in the open containers. When I need the containers for the next batches of seeds, I transfer the last batch to open 4 oz canning jars where they finish drying. The tape with name and date follow them at each transfer of container type.

I'm not new to collecting seeds (I use to be obsessed with it) but I am new to fermenting tomato seeds. It's only my second year. I appreciate all of the past posts on this topic to help guide me.

[Toomanymatoes]

I have to cover my cups otherwise I create a fruit fly apocalypse.

How long do people ferment for? I seem to recall 3 days was a max? I have done mine a minimum of 3 days, but sometimes up to 7. Never seemed to be an issue.

I dry the rinsed seeds on coffee filters for a minimum of 7 days and transfer to a baggy with a desiccant pack. I remove the desiccant pack after 3 to 7 days. I probably should do some testing to see how much the timing matters.

[DriftlessRoots]

I've been doing mine for three days and they seem to be getting clean with no more than a little rub in the mesh strainer to loosen any stubborn bits. Hoping to have enough to plant next year as well as do MMMMMMM or however many Ms that is.

[Labradors]

It takes 3 days to a week, depending on the temperature. I put the saucers of rinsed seeds on a windowsill and forget about them for a while. They are completely dry when it comes time to put them in their baggies.

Linda

[WoodSprite]

@DriftlessRoots MMMM = Mostly Mystery 'Maters Mailing. So it's 4 M's.

I've been reading old posts on the MMMM, trying to understand how to do it. I think I got it now with the categories and how that works. I might have a problem with what I want (mostly "black" tomatoes with a few others) and what I have to share (not "black" tomatoes). I hope to have some tomato varieties to share that aren't on last year's list but they aren't ready to harvest yet.

I've been waiting until the mold gets a little thick, 3 - 5 days, before rinsing. For my first attempt at this last year, when I loosely covered the jar, even after about 2 weeks I didn't get any mold. The gel came off fine. After drying them I did a germination test with a damp papertowel and baggie and they germinated well and quickly.

[Edited because I had "Mystery" and "'Maters" accidentally reversed.]

[rxkeith]

length of time to ferment is temperature dependent to some extent. here where i am at, five days is about the shortest time i would
ferment seeds. usually i go seven days before rinsing, and drying them.


keith

[JRinPA]

How long do people ferment for? I seem to recall 3 days was a max? I have done mine a minimum of 3 days, but sometimes up to 7. Never seemed to be an issue.

I think 3 days is a minimum, 3-7 sounds right. Then I add water, stir, pour them off slowly, add water, stir, pour, repeat about 4-5 times and they are clean. Then lay them on a paper plate and hope they dry before being spilled. I usually don't spread them out this evenly.

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