- 1). Locate heirloom vegetables to be the seed source. They could be from a friend's patch or from heirloom seeds you planted in spring.
- 2). Harvest seeds from ripe vegetables to guarantee the embryos are fully developed. Tomato seeds are ready for harvest as soon as the fruit ripens. Peppers, beans and peas need to stay on the plant past their mature stage to yield viable seeds.
- 3). Collect seeds using the method most appropriate for the vegetable you have. Cut a tomato and scoop the seeds out with the pulp still clinging to them, for instance.
- 4). Place the pulp and the seeds in a jar of water and allow them to ferment. Stir the mixture twice a day.
- 5). When the tomato seeds sink to the bottom in five days, pour the water and pulp out, rinse the seeds and place them on a paper towel to dry. Dry seeds from all vegetables before you store them.
- 6). Place the dried seeds in a glass jar with a tight seal for storage. Keep the jar in the refrigerator or in another dry area where the temperature is between 32 and 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Take them out in spring to plant them.
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