10/16/2022
YOU SHOULD SAVE HEIRLOOM SEEDS FROM YOUR HARVEST
You might want to think about holding back a few plants of each of your vegetable varieties to save Seed from this growing Season.. Our Grandparents and Great Grandparents always saved back some Seeds of each of their favorite Heirloom varieties each year. When you save Seeds from your most productive plants each year, you are creating your own strain of vegetables that have been adapted to your climate, soil, and the way you water. They will do so much better each year after that.
FYI--We are in a very uncertain time in our Countries history, and we need to Be Prepared. We have seen different Supply Chain disruptions in the last year, and I'm worried that we will see a disruption in the Seed Supply. The Severe Drought in the Western States the last 2 years, followed by historic flooding last Fall before Harvest has wiped out all the reserves the Seed Growers had. They supply many of the Big Companies you buy from. They are running out of many Heirloom Seed varieties now, and you are seeing that manifest in your Seed companies running out. I would suggest you get your Heirloom Seeds early for next year. You can get Heirloom Seed packages from us to help you prepare, or from one of the other good Seed companies out there that you deal with, just make sure you are prepared when a disruption occurs..
EASY-TO-SAVE SEEDS
Seeds of tomatoes, peppers, melons, and winter squash are ready for saving when the fruits are ripe and ready to eat.
PEPPERS
Peppers are the easiest. The seeds are mature after the peppers have changed color, indicating final ripeness. Cut the peppers open, scrape out the seeds onto a plateâreserving the flesh for eatingâand let the seeds dry in a non-humid, shaded place, testing them occasionally until they break rather than bend. What could be simpler?
(Note: Dry all wet seeds on a glass or ceramic plate. Spread the seeds evenly over the surface of the plate and stir twice daily to ensure even drying and to keep them from clumping together. Donât dry seeds on paper plates or paper towelsâtheyâll stick like glue. A food dehydrator set at 85ÂșF works well, but donât dry them in a warm oven or any place the temperature exceeds 95ÂșF.)
TOMATOES
Saving tomato seeds takes a little more time, but itâs just as easy. Harvest ripe tomatoes from several different vines of the same variety, cut each across the middle, and gently squeeze the juice and seeds into a bowl. Youâll see that each tomato seed is encased in a gelatinous coating. (This prevents the seed from sprouting inside the tomato). Remove this coating by fermenting it. This mimics the natural rotting of the fruit and has the added bonus of killing any seed borne tomato diseases that might affect next yearâs crop.
To ferment the seeds, add about half as much water as there are tomato seeds and juice in the bowl and stir the mixture twice a day for about 3 days. Keep a close eye on the mixtureâespecially if itâs a warm area, as fermentation happens more quickly at high temperatures. As the mixture ferments, its surface will become covered with white or gray mold. Donât keep the bowl in the kitchen, anywhere it can be tipped over by animals or children, or where youâd be able to smell itâit will get pretty rank.
When bubbles begin to rise to the top of the mass, or when a thick coat of mold has formed, stop the fermentation by adding enough water to double the mixture, and stir vigorously. The clean, good seeds will settle to the bottom of the bowl. Gently pour off mold, debris and any seeds that float (they're hollow). Add more water and repeat the process until only clean seeds remain.
Capture the seeds to be saved by pouring the liquid through a strainer, wipe the strainer bottom with a towel to remove as much moisture as possible, then dump the seeds onto a glass or ceramic plate to dry. Stir twice a day to ensure even drying and to prevent the seeds from clumping together. Warning: Tomato seeds will germinate unless you dry them quickly. To speed drying, you can use a fan, but donât put the seeds in sunlight or an oven.
MELONS AND SQUASH
Muskmelons, watermelons, and winter squash? Super easy. Cut muskmelons open, scoop the seeds into a strainer, rinse, and set out to dry. Watermelons are almost as easy. Put the seeds in a strainer and add a dash of dishwashing liquid to remove any sugar left on the seeds. Rinse and dry. Winter squashes need to be carefully cut to expose the seed cavity. Don't cut straight through the center of the squashâyou'll cut through some seeds, too. Just stick the knife in as far as necessary to cut through the flesh and move it around the circumference. (Be carefulâsome squashes will fight back!) Pull the seeds from the fibers, rinse, and dry. And don't cut a squash before you're ready to eat itâseeds can be saved from most winter squashes many months after harvest (although a few of the long-storage varieties may have sprouted seeds inside after 6 months or so).
Seeds That Need More Time
Eggplants, cucumbers, and summer squashes must ripen beyond the normal, ready-to-eat stage to allow viable seeds to develop inside.
EGGPLANTS
To save the seeds of your eggplants, youâll need to wait until the fruits are far past the stage when youâd pick them for eating. Any seeds saved from table-ready eggplants will be immature and wonât be viable. If left on the plant, purple eggplant varieties will ripen to a dull brownish color, green varieties to a yellowish green, and white varieties to golden. Eggplants ready for seed saving will be dull, off-colored, hard, and sometimes shriveled.
Cut the ripe eggplants in half and pull the flesh away from the seeded areas. If you want to save more than a few seeds, use a food processor or blender to mash the flesh and expose the seeds. Process (without peeling), and put the pulp in a bowl. Add water, let the good seeds settle, and then pour off the water and debris. Repeat until only clean seeds remain. Add a bit more water and pour the mix through a strainer with a mesh fine enough to catch the tiny seeds. Dry the bottom of the strainer with a towel to absorb excess moisture and dump the seeds out onto a plate to dry.
CUCUMBERS
After cucumbers ripen, they change color and become soft. (Remember, if you stop picking cucumbers, their vines will stop producing new fruit, so pick your fruit for seed saving toward the end of the season.) Cut the ripe cucumber in half and scrape the seeds into a bowl. To remove the seeds' coating, rub them gently around the inside of a sieve while washing them or soak them in water for 2 days. Rinse and dry. (Note: Make sure the cucumbers you use for seed are disease-free; some diseases can be carried on seed and could affect your future crop.)
SUMMER SQUASHES
Youâll need to let summer squashes ripen past the tender stage, too. When you canât dent the squash with a fingernail, the fruit is at the right stage for seed saving. Pick it, cut it open, and scrape the seeds into a bowl, wash, drain, and dry.
BEAN AND PEA SEEDS
To save Bean and Pea seeds, wait until the pods are ripe. When beans and peas are fully ripened, they turn dry and crackly on the vine, and the seeds rattle inside. This may take up to an additional month after you would normally harvest them to eat. After you collect the pods from the plants, spread them in a well-ventilated area to dry. Let them dry at least 2 weeks before shelling.
When you are ready for some Small Farm Grown Non GMO Heirloom Seeds, please stop by THE SEED GUY website. We still hand count and package our Heirloom Seeds, like the old days, so you get the best germination. Fresh Fall 2022 Harvest Seeds in now.
We have 9 Heirloom Seed Packages in Stock Now. You can see on our Seed Guy website. https://theseedguy.net/15-seed-packages
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