{"id":133567,"date":"2024-05-24T09:46:16","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T13:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/?p=133567"},"modified":"2024-12-03T14:51:43","modified_gmt":"2024-12-03T14:51:43","slug":"how-to-collect-tomato-seeds-so-you-never-have-to-buy-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalskyweb.co\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2024\/05\/24\/how-to-collect-tomato-seeds-so-you-never-have-to-buy-them\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Collect Tomato Seeds So You Never Have To Buy Them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Estimated reading time: <\/span>9<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me show you how to save money on buying tomato seeds by collecting them from your garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn the best techniques for harvesting tomato seeds in this helpful guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing tomatoes from seed to harvest has been a summer hobby of mine since moving to Canada. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The weather in the UK was always wet, and there wasn’t enough sunshine in my area during the growing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s nice to build a sustainable lifestyle<\/a><\/strong>, even if it means growing a vegetable garden<\/a><\/strong> for my family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, I will share the best way to collect tomato seeds so you never have to repurchase them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning How To Collect Tomato Seeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike my family, Mrs. CBB’s family had a massive annual garden spanning the length of her parent’s property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father was an old-school Italian gardener who continued to hone his skills in Canada as an immigrant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only was he a master gardener and grew some of the biggest vegetables I’ve ever seen, but he was also keen to teach anyone who wanted to learn. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although I only knew him for ten years, I learned how to forage asparagus, berries, and mushrooms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve foraged wild asparagus the length of my arm, and I’m not even trying to exaggerate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to climb trees to get Chicken of the Woods mushrooms for him. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Chicken
Chicken Of The Woods Mushrooms<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Often, whether I asked or not, he taught me while I was helping him in the gardens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He taught me a bit about tree grafting, which he was fantastic at, but most of all, how to harvest (cull) tomato seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every Italian is passionate about their tomatoes, and he was no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although he had a massive garden, his tomatoes and figs were his pride and joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomato Seeds From Italy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

While visiting family in Italy over three decades ago, he returned with tomato seeds he had harvested from his sister’s garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until the day he died, he continued to grow those same tomatoes using the seeds from Italy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’m thankful I asked him how to collect tomato seeds, or I may not have learned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Underneath the weeds and overgrown grass in what used to be a bountiful garden, I found a small plant of his tomatoes growing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I can continue growing the same tomatoes in our garden using the steps he taught me below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One important keynote I learned from him is not to overcomplicate the gardening process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When To Collect Tomato Seeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Through my experience as a gardener over the last 16 years, I’ve had the best success collecting tomato seeds from late summer into fall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pick the best-looking heirloom tomato, free from blemishes and the perfect shape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collecting Hybrid Tomato Seeds <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Do not use hybrid tomato seeds because what you see is not what you will get. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think genetics with hybrid seeds, with the first set being F1 hybrid seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can have four sons with the same parent, and each one may have similarities, but they won’t be twins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save the seeds closest to the original, F2 hybrid seeds. Continue with the seeds again the following season until you have F3 hybrid seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After many seasons of using hybrid seeds, eventually, they taper out and become one variety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will know when this happens as you’ll continue to harvest the same tomatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In other words, you don’t know what you will get with F1 and F2 seeds until they reach heirloom status F3 and a few growing seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you collect heirloom tomato seeds, you get what you see, but it was a hybrid at one point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Family Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Tomatoes
Tomatoes From Father-In-Laws Garden<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

My father-in-law loved to grow giant tomatoes and was passionate about grape and cherry tomatoes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although San Marzano tomatoes<\/a><\/strong> are praised as the best heirlooms in Italy, he grew small amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The San Marzano plum tomato is long and rounded with pointy ends, similar to a Roma tomato.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that San Marzano is the name of a tomato and a region in Italy? It’s true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Two of the more popular tomatoes he grew were called the Gigante,<\/strong> which can grow as big as 1.5kg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They remind me of big beefsteak tomatoes with giant ribs around the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also, the Cuore di Bue <\/strong>is a pink salad tomato that turns red once it’s ready to eat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs. CBB’s family was not big into eating pasta and tomato sauce<\/a><\/strong>, even though they canned about 50 jars each summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there was always a giant tomato salad at dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father would slice and eat tomatoes with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, fresh Italian bread, hard cheese, and olives for lunch (sometimes breakfast).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You would never catch a tomato outside the growing season in his grocery cart. It was a sin.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"San
San Marzan<\/a><\/strong>o and Oxheart tomatoes<\/strong><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 1 – Scoop Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cut the tomato in half, and, using a spoon, scoop the tomato seeds into a bowl. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"How
How To Collect Tomato Seeds For Next Season<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 2 – Cover Tomato Seeds With Water<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fill the bowl with cold water and cover with plastic wrap. Leave the bowl on the counter for a few days. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Collect
Collect tomato seeds in a bowl<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 3 – Ferment Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remove the plastic wrap to reveal a wonderful fermented smell and goopy gelatin. Stuck inside of this are the tomato seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Scoop
Scoop collected tomato seeds into a container and cover it with plastic wrap.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 4 – Strain Collected Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pour the contents of the bowl into a mesh strainer with holes no more significant than the seeds. Run the water over the seeds, removing any chunks of gelatin with your fingers. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Strain
Strain tomato seeds until gelatin is removed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 5 – Dry The Collected Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Remove the cleaned seeds from the filter and set them on a paper towel to dry in a cool space for a few days. We leave ours on a table in our sunroom or kitchen counter.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Place
Place the collected tomato seeds on a paper towel to dry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Step 5- Package The Dried Collected Tomato Seeds <\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Collected
Collected and dried Tomato Seeds<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Once the seeds are dry and you notice they change color, package them in a dry envelope. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found these small envelopes at the dollar store and use them for all my vegetable seeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Label the envelope and put the date on the outside so you know they are for the next growing season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve never used seeds I’ve kept for more than one season, so I can’t comment on whether using them is okay. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"How
How To Collect (Cull) Tomato Seeds<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

I hope you found this step-by-step guide about how to collect tomato seeds informative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. CBB <\/p>\n\n\n\n