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How To Save Tomato Seeds (Easy Tutorial)

Published on August 29, 2021Last updated October 25, 2021 โ™› By Melissa J. Will

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Use this traditional method to collect seeds from ripe tomatoes to save them for future seed sowing. The most reliable seeds come from heirloom and open-pollinated varieties but the method is the same for any tomato seeds including hybrids.

This is part of a series on What to Know Before You Plant Tomatoes.

Tomatoes ready for seed collection.

Collecting and Saving Tomato Seeds

Sliced tomatoes with the seeds and pulp showing.

This traditional method has been used for generations to save seeds from ripe tomatoes. It starts with fermenting the seeds to remove the protective gelatinous coating, then dry the seeds in preparation for storing or sowing.

Don’t worry if that sounds like a lot, it’s really simple and you end up with good seeds.

Contents

  1. Getting Started
  2. Choosing the Best Tomatoes for Seed Saving
  3. How to Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds
  4. Resources

Getting Started

Ready to save seeds from your tomatoes for sowing next season? Just one tomato yields many seeds and this old-fashioned process is simple.

The most important tip is to start with ripe fruit so you know the seeds are mature.

We save seeds from heirlooms and other open-pollinated plants because they will reliably grow the same fruit with each generation.

Definitions vary but here is one: heirloom tomatoes are self-pollinators that have bred true for several generations. If you know the name of your tomato plant but don’t know if it’s heirloom or hybrid, just Google the name for an instant answer.

You can also save seeds from hybrid tomatoes but the fruit will (probably) not be true to the parent, or it may not fruit at all. I always save some just for fun, curious to see what they will yieldโ€”and some do produce perfectly good fruits. But, if you want to know what you’ll get, stick with open-pollinated varieties.


Assorted vegetables including cabbage growing in the garden.

Related: Seed Types 101: Heirloom v Hybrid v Open-Pollinated


Before you get started, please know there are many ways to save seeds so don’t worry if you see advice that varies. So long as we end up with viable seeds, it’s all good. My setup (below) uses what I had on hand when I first started out and I’ve just reused the same supplies year after year. Once you see how it’s done, you can adapt and use what you have.

Some methods skip the fermenting process but this may result in lower quality seeds.

Choosing the Best Tomatoes for Seed Saving

The tomatoes must be both mature and ripe, but not over-ripe.

You can tell a tomato is fully mature by cutting it open and examining it. Mature tomatoes have a gelatinous coating covering the seeds inside which is a sprout inhibitor.

Once a tomato is mature, it can ripen.

Also, fruit quality can vary even on the same plant, so use the best tomatoes for your seed saving.

If your plants endured some seasonal diseases like blight, this will not affect the quality of the seeds.

Can I save seeds from green tomatoes?

No. Green tomatoes are just starting to form seeds inside and any seeds present will be immature and not viable.

Can I save seeds from store-bought tomatoes?

You can try. Sometimes tomatoes from the supermarket are picked before the fruit is fully mature and the seeds will not be viable.

It’s also likely you won’t know what type they are and whether they are open-pollinated or hybrid.

That said, if you’re curious like I am, just try it.

My tomato fruit has seeds sprouting insideโ€”can I grow them?

Yes. When the seeds within mature fruits begin to sprout, it is called vivipary. It is possible to continue growing these seedlings as you would any other seedlings. You can read more about vivipary and see a tomato example here.


Collage of images of tomato plants, fruits, and flowers.

Related: 12 Sweet & Juicy Tomato Growing Tips


How to Save Heirloom Tomato Seeds

There are lots of good methods for saving tomato seeds. This old-fashioned method relies on fermentation which occurs naturally during the process.

1Collect Seeds

Inside tomato showing seeds in gelatinous coating.

Scoop out the seeds and their gelatinous coating.

  • Slice the tomato and scoop or squeeze out the seeds with their surrounding goop into a cup. That goop (gelatinous coat) actually protects the seeds from the acid of the tomato. During this process, we will get rid of that coat and just save the seeds.
  • Add enough water to cover plus a half inch or so. If the tomato is really juicy, just use its juice. The rest of the tomato is good to eat, of course.
  • Tag or label the cup with the name of the tomato.

2Ferment Seeds

Tomato seeds in cup with water.

Cover and wait 4-5 days.

I’ve always waited several days and have great germination rates. I notice others say they are happy with just 24 hours of fermentationโ€”so go ahead and experiment with the timing.

  • It will ferment and get moldy and gross.
  • Nature is genius: the fermenting process releases the seeds from their casings and kills off any pathogens lurking in the tomato.
  • You may see white or green mold form. No worries, it’s all part of the process.
Moldy tomato seeds.

3Rinse Seeds

Rinse away moldy gunk until just seeds remain.

  • When the fermenting has done its business, pour the gunk into a sieve at the kitchen sink.
Tomato seeds with gel.

Rinse with water until just the seeds remain.

The gelatinous coating will be gone.

Rinsing tomato seeds after fermentation.

4Air Dry Seeds

Air dry seeds for seven days and flip daily for even drying. 

  • Place the seeds on a plate to dry out for approximately seven days. My plates have numbers on them. One plate for each type of tomato. Keep track of the names!
  • I also save wildcard seeds. If I’m chopping tomatoes for a meal and using a bunch of different heirlooms, I just put all the seed glumps into one cup and save them that way. I know I like all of them so I won’t mind whichever kind sprouts next year when I plant them. And it’s like a seed surprise pack.
Tomato seeds drying on plates.

I cover the plates with old file folders so the fruit flies won’t get too excited while the seeds are drying.

Bowls stacked with drying tomato seeds inside.

Turn the seeds over each day so they can dry out completely. I reuse my numbered plates and cups over and over again.

When they’re really dry, the seeds will slide across the plate/bowl, instead of sticking to it.


Flower seed head in garden ready for seed saving.

Related: How to Save Seeds: Collecting Seeds From Your Garden Plants


5Store Seeds

Hand full of dry tomato seeds.

Store in labelled envelopes or containers in cool, dry place. 

  • You can read more on best conditions for storing seeds here.
  • Sources vary saying that saved heirloom seeds will be viable anywhere from 4-10 years. I’ve got some that are 15 years old that still have good germination rates. Good storage is key.
  • Also, there’s lots of online seed swappers if you want to collect more varieties and share what you have.

That’s all there is to it. Now you’ve got lots of seeds for years to come.


Seeds stored in mason jar and in plastic photo cases.

Related: How to Properly Store Seeds at Home


 Resources

Tomato | Genus: Solanum

Red tomatoes ripening on vine.

Annual vegetable, truly a berry

  • Vines (indeterminates) or bushes (determinates)
  • Full sun – at least 6 hours total direct sun per day
  • Soil: well-draining and fertile
  • Propagation: seed or cuttings
  • Pollination: self-fertile with help from wind and insects
  • More Tips: DIY tomato cages | Seed Saving | Ripen after picking
  • 12 Sweet & Juicy Tomato Growing Tips
  • Shop Online: Buy tomato seeds at Botanical Interests (US Shipping)
    or West Coast Seeds (Canada)

Seed Collecting Kit

Seed collector kit from Etsy

See it at Etsy

Recommended Book

Epic Tomatoes book cover

Epic Tomatoes
How to Select & Grow the Best Varieties of All Time

by Craig LeHoullier

See it on Amazon

Craig LeHoullier provides everything a tomato enthusiast needs to know about growing more than 200 varieties of tomatoes, from planting to cultivating and collecting seeds at the end of the season.

~Melissa the Empress of Dirt โ™›

Hand holding tomato seeds.
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How to Save Tomato Seeds

Step-by-step instructions for saving seeds from open-pollinated and heirloom tomato fruit for growing new plants.
Total Time1 hour hr
Author: Melissa J. Will
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • Sieve

Supplies & Materials

  • 1 Sieve Metal Strainer for rinsing seeds
  • 1 Cup for each variety
  • 1 Plate for each variety

Instructions

  • Scoop out the seeds and their gelatinous coating from ripe, mature tomato.
  • Place in cup with just enough water to cover. Wait 4-5 days.
  • Use sieve to rinse away moldy gunk until just seeds remain.
  • Air dry seeds for seven days and flip daily for even drying.
  • Store in labelled envelopes or containers in cool, dry place.
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Sliced tomatoes with the seeds and pulp showing.
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I’m Melissa J. Will a.k.a. the Empress of Dirt (Ontario, Canada).
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