saving seed from one small tomato?

[heirloomdaddy]

Is there any effective way of fermenting the seeds/juice of one small tomato? What would be the suggested method?

thanks

[rxkeith]

if you have other tomatoes that you are fermenting to save seed, put a strainer over the top of the container holding the small tomato contents to catch any seeds trying to escape , and add a little "juice". some people use TSP to process their seeds. never done it that way, but its been talked about here.


keith

[remy]

Add a little water. I've found they still ferment.
Remy

[eyolf]

I have had trouble with water: it slows the process down, perhaps because it dilutes the sugars and other compounds that fungi and bacteria are after. ANY fruit or vegetable juice works, so long as it isn't a commercial product with preservatives that ALSO slow the process down.

We all see spoiled tomatoes when we're harvesting; I pick up a few that birds, squirrels, etc. have ruined and juice them by mashing them though a sieve.

No stray seeds, just juice.

[dustdevil]

Cut the small tomato in half. Squeeze each half (like a lemon) over a clean jar, so the seeds and gel fall in...a blunt spoon can be used to scoop 'em out also. Put a couple inches of water over the seeds. Cover the jar opening with a piece of Saran wrap. Take a sharp knife and cut a slot about a half inch long in the middle of the plastic wrap. Swirl the jar every day in a circular motion to stir things up. Let ferment four to five days...it will smell like yeast. Pour jar contents into fine sieve and rinse in a circular motion with cold water until seeds are clean. Tap seeds out onto dinner plate and spread them out to dry.

[Stepheninky]

Originally Posted by remy

Add a little water. I've found they still ferment.
Remy

That is how I do it too, I usually don't use but one or two fruits to save seed at a time. Just add a little water and check it daily to make sure it does not dry out. It does not have to have a crust to ferment, in 3-5 days it will have a yeast smell and the top layer will be cloudy. Then just fill the rest of the way let settle, and pour off the water. You can do this 2-3 times and they will be clean. Use a sieve if you have one and then spread the clean seeds on a paper plate to dry. I personally do not use a sieve for small quantities and all the seed I have tested so far have sprouted.

Everybody has there own way of doing it. There is a huge thread about it in fact LOL, which reminds me I found a scientific paper testing different methods and times of, and temps of fermentation and how they effect seed quality, So will have to dig that thread up and post the link.