I’m going to try saving tomato seeds this year. How ripe should the tomato be? When is the best time to pick it?
And how does one process the seeds, so to speak?
Ripeness depends on the critters you have that steal tomatoes.LOL. Seriously, though I usually pick some tomatoes when they just have a blush on them. Rinse in warm water, dry and wrap in newspaper to ripen.
Some I try to let ripen on the vine, but these the squirrels often get. Either way, I have not noticed any difference in the viability of the seeds.
Just pick the best tomato you have, scoop out the seeds, squirt with a little liquid oxy clean. Rinse and drain. Then put them on a paper plate, label and put another plate on top with holes. Put them on top of the refrigerator.
When they are dried out put them in an envelope or empty medicine bottle etc. and store in the Refrigerator or freezer till Spring.
I am no expert. This is just what has worked for me.
here is a link on how to save your tomato seeds.
http://gardening.about.com/od/totallytomatoes/ss/TomatoSeeds.htm
And here are the instructions for using Oxi-Clean to save your seeds. This is much easier than the process above.
http://www.settfest.com/2009/01/saving-seeds/
Pick when your tomatoes are ripe.
To save the seeds, scoop the seeds of a good tomato into a small jar or container. Cover with a couple inches of water. Set it uncovered on top of the fridge for a little warmth. It will get all icky with scum but it’s supposed to do that. After 3-4 days, dump it into a tea strainer and rinse the ick off. Put the seeds on a shallow dish and let dry out completely. Store in a jar or envelope until Christmas (your time zone may vary) when it’s time to start them inside. Don’t forget to label and date the envelope.