saving pepper seed

[Stvrob]

Are there any special steps that should be taken to save pepper seeds? Like fermenting the seeds or anything else? Do they need to be red-ripe?

[Darren Abbey]

I just let the harvested seeds air dry for a few days. If seeds are not sufficiently mature, they will turn dark and shriveled during this drying stage.

The fruit does not need to be red-ripe, but the further along in the fruit maturation, the more seeds will have matured and the more mature those seeds will be.

[rockhound]

Yup, the riper the better. No fermenting for pepper seeds, just air dry and store in paper envelopes in a cool, dark place. Fridge or freezer NOT needed either. I have kept mine in envelopes in a tin (for rodent-proofing) for years with no problems.

[RebelRidin]

Saving pepper seed is about a easy as it gets. I leave them on the plant until fully ripe, spread the seeds out on a paper plate and let air dry. That's all there is to it.

[Father'sDaughter]

Just make sure they are really, really dry before storing. They should "rattle" when you sift them around on the plate. I received some moldy, slimy pepper seeds in a trade once from someone who failed to let them completely dry before packing them.

[Stvrob]

thanks everyone!