Seed Saving Jars

[AlittleSalt]

I know there are many posts and threads about seed saving jars, but I didn't find any. So here's another thread:

Last year, I used pint sized Kerr jars because we had them waiting to be used. The problem was that it took a lot of tomatoes to get enough juice. By the time I had enough juice, there were enough cherry tomato seeds to share with 50 or more people

So I started using donor tomatoes for juice, and that works if you're growing a lot of tomatoes.

Then I found the right size jars. I now use olive jars. The kind that has the pimento stuffed in them. They are tall and narrow and they work.

Smaller Picante sauce jars work too, and so do the Wyler's bouillon cube jars. I would imagine half-pint canning jars would work as well, but I don't have any of them to try it out.

[luigiwu]

caper jars are very small, narrow and tall. even more than pimento stuffed olives.

[nancyruhl]

The jars don't have to even be that big. I pick these specimen cups for free at work. I'm

[pmcgrady]

I use prescription pill bottles, Amber colored that keeps out light

[aftermidnight]

We go through a lot of prepared hot mustard. Keen's or Colman's prepared hot mustard jars are ideal for small amounts of seed. I store a lot of bean seed samples of these in the freezer.

Annette

[Father'sDaughter]

I use my half pint canning jars for most. If I'm saving seeds from small tomatoes and I don't want to save a lot, shot glasses work beautifully.

[gothicgardens]

Hope you are getting new specimen jars at work and not used ones.

[Hunt-Grow-Cook]

I use the tall skinny shot glasses when doing smaller batches Robert. I drape cheesecloth over it and secure with a rubber band. Works like a charm.

[ContainerTed]

Been doing this for a bunch of years. I use half pints, pints, and quarts. All of the ones you see have the lids on tight enough to keep the odor out of the room. The mat forms and the get sacs dissolve just as quickly as with the lids off. For small amounts, I add juice from donor tomatoes or I reuse stinky liquid from previous fermentations - but not too "Previous".

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by luigiwu

caper jars are very small, narrow and tall. even more than pimento stuffed olives.

Unless you buy your capers at Costco, haha.

[KarenO]

I use 16 oz disposable waxed paper coffee to-go cups with lids from Costco. place a piece of scotch tape over the sipping hole and I write directly on the cups with a sharpie. Wasteful? maybe but they are recyclable and it is very convenient.
Also, I don't concern myself with having enough actual tomato juices to ferment in. I squeeze/scrape out the seeds, dilute with a small amount of water and ferment.

KarenO

[ilex]

I use zip bags.

[carolyn137]

Originally Posted by ilex

I use zip bags.

Yes you do, and remembering in that other very long thread about seed saving where I posted what I do,I asked you how long you left the crud in the zip bags and you said something like...a very long time since I am slow.

My concerns,as you might remember,was about oxygen and fermentation and whether you were under or over fermenting.

Carolyn

[AlittleSalt]

I haven't been feeling well the past few days, but I think I'm getting better. I have been reading the replies here.

Hunt-Grow-Cook, I have used shot glasses too...besides what they're made for

Sometimes, there are only a couple of small tomatoes, and a shot glass is a lot more proportionate.

Karen, I have used a small amount of water at times too.

Ilex, that is interesting. A zip bag.

Carolyn, as you already know, I've written another threat about tomato seed saving. No, I don't remember what that thread was called either. A good friend of ours (Worth) sent me your book. I quit using the coffee filter on top of the jars. On these 10 acres out in the middle of nowhere, there's lots of places to put jars of fermenting tomato seeds that the smell bothers no one. Yes, I have scooped out some grasshoppers, wasps, and gnats are the worst.

I added two things to the tomato seed saving process that you wrote about. One being if there is no fungal mat - I toss those seeds in the compost bin. The other being that I use a folded paper towel after rinsing the fermented seeds to squeeze out extra moisture before putting them on the paper plate.

I would typically go back and make sure I haven't put my foot in my mouth before posting, but I believe in the way that I save tomato seeds.

I like seeing everyone saving them in different ways.

Ted, I have never used a solid lid - at first in 2014, I used a coffee filter over the jar with a rubber band. I know you have been saving seeds longer than I have. I listen to experience.

[ginger2778]

Originally Posted by KarenO

Also, I don't concern myself with having enough actual tomato juices to ferment in. I squeeze/scrape out the seeds, dilute with a small amount of water and ferment.

KarenO

Same here. Also, I only let mine dry for about 2 days, then I put them away in marked 2" X 3" zip lock baggies, or mail them off to whomever requested in those baggies. I don't dry for days and days. So far so good, no moldy seeds, at least no one has told me of getting moldy seeds. When I dry them its on a Chinette plate( no plastic coating) covered by a coffee filter. I reuse the Chinettes, but always a fresh coffee filter.