Seed Fermentation Methods - Page 2

**carolyn137** · August 20, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigdaddyJ

Well, Amy Goldman must not read Carolyn's book! I just saw the VG repeat show a week or two ago. That might explain why she needs to dry them so long?

Well, I gave her an autographed copy of my book when it came out but I have no idea how much of it she read. Probably some of it b'c she told me a few years ago when she was planning to do her own book on heirloom tomatoes that she wouldn't repeat any that were in my book, but that didn't happen.She also saw how I did my fermentations in her many trips up to my tomato field over the years starting in the early 90's thru about 1998 b'c in 1999 I had to retire due to mobility problems and moved to the place where I now live which is farther north.

Whatever.

mjc · August 20, 2010

You know what?

There's about as many ways to ferment tomato seeds as there are to grow them. What counts is what works for the individual saving the seeds...if you end up with viable, disease free seeds, then you did it right. If you can get them dried down enough for long term (more than a couple of years) storage that's a bonus.

Wi-sunflower · August 20, 2010

MJC --

exactly right. We all have a method that works for us and that's all that counts.

Personally I had tried the fermention method about 10 years ago and it just didn't work for me. The varieties I had tried only had about 5% germination. i must have done something wrong at that time. But my current method works out well for me now and most of my seed has very good germination when new and keeps at least 4 years with decent germination.

BTW, I too have seen those visitors in some of my seed batches. But they seem to dry up and disapear as the seeds dry. I forgot to mention in my first post that I also use a fan to move the air around my drying racks. Our house is bone dry too as soon as Hubby starts the wood stove in fall.

Carol

b54red · August 20, 2010

I had the maggot problem once or twice when I was using bowls for fermenting. I got rid of that problem by using small glass jars and putting the lids on and then loosening them so they weren't air tight. I will open them each day for a couple of seconds then put the lid back on loosely. It has worked great and I have not had any maggots since I started fermenting this way and it is really easy to see the seeds dropping out to the bottom.
I use those really good paper plates and spread the seed so none are touching and they dry really fast and they are easy to collect into the coin envelopes. The advantage of the good heavy plates is you can use them over and over and they don't warp.

Wi-sunflower · August 20, 2010

Here are a few pics of my homemade seed drying plates. I can have several ounces of seed on some of my plates.

Carol

mjc · August 20, 2010

Fermenting tomato seeds make great fruit fly traps...

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · August 20, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

I use those really good paper plates and spread the seed so none are touching and they dry really fast and they are easy to collect into the coin envelopes. The advantage of the good heavy plates is you can use them over and over and they don't warp.

I am the opposite I use the really cheap paper plates without the plastic coating and first dump the fermented seeds out on either a single or double up plate spread out and let sit for an hour or so and allot of the water is absorbed into the plates. I then go back and dump the seeds onto a single layer cheap paper plate and then spread to a single layer and let them dry for 2-4 weeks.

Craig

feldon30 · August 20, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomNJ

Amy says...

Since both ladies are tomato experts

That's not a safe assumption.

ContainerTed · August 20, 2010

GoBig-or-GoHome writes:

I am the opposite I use the really cheap paper plates without the plastic coating and first dump the fermented seeds out on either a single or double up plate spread out and let sit for an hour or so and allot of the water is absorbed into the plates. I then go back and dump the seeds onto a single layer cheap paper plate and then spread to a single layer and let them dry for 2-4 weeks.

Craig
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Craig, if you are dumping them out from a strainer, save some of your paper plates by just sitting the strainer with the seeds in the bottom onto a paper towell for about 5 or so minutes. This also wicks away a lot of the moisture in the seed cluster.

Ted

dice · August 20, 2010

I use coffee filters rather than plates. Wicks away water, and they
dry fairly quickly.

Gobig_or_Gohome_toms · August 20, 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by ContainerTed

GoBig-or-GoHome writes:

I am the opposite I use the really cheap paper plates without the plastic coating and first dump the fermented seeds out on either a single or double up plate spread out and let sit for an hour or so and allot of the water is absorbed into the plates. I then go back and dump the seeds onto a single layer cheap paper plate and then spread to a single layer and let them dry for 2-4 weeks.

Craig
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Craig, if you are dumping them out from a strainer, save some of your paper plates by just sitting the strainer with the seeds in the bottom onto a paper towell for about 5 or so minutes. This also wicks away a lot of the moisture in the seed cluster.

Ted

Good advise if I get a strainer but currently just dumping from rinsed fermentation jar but if I do get a strainer love the tip thanks!!!

Craig

dokutaaguriin · August 20, 2010

Here is my method:http://members.shaw.ca/jwlcasey/Case...ed_Saving.html
I should have added a picture of my cheap Loonie Store strainer that I use when rinsing the seeds.
I, too, prefer coffee filters. I write the name of the variety with a Sharpie pen. I simply cross out the name when I use it again.
Since we have such low humidity around here, seeds are literally dry in a day or two.

Jeff

b54red · August 21, 2010

Ted, I do the strainer on towel trick too. I like to pour them in the strainer once the junk has been poured off then spray with the sinks faucet sprayer so they are really clean, then set the strainer on a towel after shaking it a few times.
Craig the plates I use do not have a coating so they soak up the little moisture left on the seeds really fast. Then I take a small paring knife and spread them so they aren't touching. After they dry I just scoop them up using the flap on the coin envelope. Our humidity is too high here to let them dry in more than a single layer besides with my arthritis in my hands it's just too difficult to separate them. It's also too easy to get mold on them if they are clumped together while drying.

ContainerTed · August 21, 2010

Because I do my seedsaving in small batches, I use some old 1/2 pint jelly jars for the fermentation. My process then is:

1. Dump from jelly jar to the strainer (plastic with plastic mesh Walmart cheapie).

2. Spray with faucet sprayer which removes 98% of debris.

3. Rinse and "pour off" remaining debris and immature seeds, if any

4. Return to strainer and wick away water

5. Paper plate time.

For a fast few seeds, I will use a scouring cleanser and create a paste over the seeds in the strainer. Then I agitate this paste with my fingers to break up the gel. Then it's the same as above to remove the remaining debris. It's difficult to remove the gel completely from all the seeds this way with only one application of the scouring powder. Usually it takes two and sometimes three times to get it all. But, it's kinda neat to see the little green gel sacs floating out of the jar during the rinse cycles. Fermentation dissolves these sacs.

Ted

tam91 · August 22, 2010

Maggots. Scream. Not many things make me scream, but... maggots...

Could one prevent the maggot invasion by covering a jar with cheesecloth for example?

Carolyn, you have a little killer instinct in you, I know ya do

I bet no one complained about the maggots - they just thought it was the seed that didn't germinate haha.

August 20, 2010	#24
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	GoBig-or-GoHome writes: I am the opposite I use the really cheap paper plates without the plastic coating and first dump the fermented seeds out on either a single or double up plate spread out and let sit for an hour or so and allot of the water is absorbed into the plates. I then go back and dump the seeds onto a single layer cheap paper plate and then spread to a single layer and let them dry for 2-4 weeks. Craig ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Craig, if you are dumping them out from a strainer, save some of your paper plates by just sitting the strainer with the seeds in the bottom onto a paper towell for about 5 or so minutes. This also wicks away a lot of the moisture in the seed cluster. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

August 20, 2010	#25
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I use coffee filters rather than plates. Wicks away water, and they dry fairly quickly. __________________ -- alias

August 21, 2010	#29
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Because I do my seedsaving in small batches, I use some old 1/2 pint jelly jars for the fermentation. My process then is: 1. Dump from jelly jar to the strainer (plastic with plastic mesh Walmart cheapie). 2. Spray with faucet sprayer which removes 98% of debris. 3. Rinse and "pour off" remaining debris and immature seeds, if any 4. Return to strainer and wick away water 5. Paper plate time. For a fast few seeds, I will use a scouring cleanser and create a paste over the seeds in the strainer. Then I agitate this paste with my fingers to break up the gel. Then it's the same as above to remove the remaining debris. It's difficult to remove the gel completely from all the seeds this way with only one application of the scouring powder. Usually it takes two and sometimes three times to get it all. But, it's kinda neat to see the little green gel sacs floating out of the jar during the rinse cycles. Fermentation dissolves these sacs. Ted __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch

August 20, 2010	#17
mjc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: WV Posts: 603	You know what? There's about as many ways to ferment tomato seeds as there are to grow them. What counts is what works for the individual saving the seeds...if you end up with viable, disease free seeds, then you did it right. If you can get them dried down enough for long term (more than a couple of years) storage that's a bonus.

August 20, 2010	#18
Wi-sunflower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 2,591	MJC -- exactly right. We all have a method that works for us and that's all that counts. Personally I had tried the fermention method about 10 years ago and it just didn't work for me. The varieties I had tried only had about 5% germination. i must have done something wrong at that time. But my current method works out well for me now and most of my seed has very good germination when new and keeps at least 4 years with decent germination. BTW, I too have seen those visitors in some of my seed batches. But they seem to dry up and disapear as the seeds dry. I forgot to mention in my first post that I also use a fan to move the air around my drying racks. Our house is bone dry too as soon as Hubby starts the wood stove in fall. Carol

August 20, 2010	#19
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I had the maggot problem once or twice when I was using bowls for fermenting. I got rid of that problem by using small glass jars and putting the lids on and then loosening them so they weren't air tight. I will open them each day for a couple of seconds then put the lid back on loosely. It has worked great and I have not had any maggots since I started fermenting this way and it is really easy to see the seeds dropping out to the bottom. I use those really good paper plates and spread the seed so none are touching and they dry really fast and they are easy to collect into the coin envelopes. The advantage of the good heavy plates is you can use them over and over and they don't warp.

August 20, 2010	#27
dokutaaguriin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Alberta, Canada Z3a Posts: 905	Here is my method:http://members.shaw.ca/jwlcasey/Case...ed_Saving.html I should have added a picture of my cheap Loonie Store strainer that I use when rinsing the seeds. I, too, prefer coffee filters. I write the name of the variety with a Sharpie pen. I simply cross out the name when I use it again. Since we have such low humidity around here, seeds are literally dry in a day or two. Jeff

August 22, 2010	#30
tam91 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Crystal Lake IL Posts: 2,484	Maggots. Scream. Not many things make me scream, but... maggots... Could one prevent the maggot invasion by covering a jar with cheesecloth for example? Carolyn, you have a little killer instinct in you, I know ya do I bet no one complained about the maggots - they just thought it was the seed that didn't germinate haha.