Let’s wrap up on veggie seed saving.

You might ask, “How do you get the tomato seeds off the paper towel, or wax paper, or parchment?” You don’t. If the paper you used is actually paper -not any percentage plastic- it will decompose in moist soil or the starter mix being used to start tomato plants. So, just cut a seed with its paper with a scissor and put it right into your moistened starter mix.

I used to take a section of the seeded paper towel and pre-germinate them so that I wasn’t wasting soil, labor, or time on seeds that might not grow. Several years of doing that displayed that my annual seed stock (or being used from two years ago) was over 90% viable. So, between that evidence and my hands becoming more handicapped, I now just put the seed on paper directly into the moist soil medium for starting tomato plants.

Winter Squash – of the Cucurbitaceae family

With the understanding about the promiscuity of squashes, seeds can be saved and used. Curcubits (winter and summer types of squash) that are grown without complimentary types nearby will likely be true. True means that its seed will produce offspring of the same type the following season. They will be true to the parent plant. True-to-type- would be difficult to accomplish if, for instance, your garden is a plot in a community garden or your neighbor also grows vegetables and has grown squash (winter to winter, or summer to summer types). Having restated all of that … winter squash seeds are easy to save.

One generally halves a squash to cook it, scooping out the seeds and the pulp they are nestled in. Great! Put the seeds and guts in a bowl and set aside while you do your cooking.

The seeds have to be separated from the pulp. The easiest way is with one’s fingers. Once you get into it, it only takes a few minutes. Pluck the majority of the seeds out of their soft pulp cuddling. Doing this gives the opportunity to also feel the seeds and visually see if any are deformed or not fully mature. The plump ones are the ones you want. One squash produces over 100 seeds, most will be useable. Save more than you will plant for give-aways and for next season (climate change – one never knows what each season brings anymore).

• Now you have a bowl of seeds with much less pulp. Little strings of pulp are fine.
• Next put them in a bowl of water, swish them around, fondle them, and loosen more of the remaining pulp. You will not be able to remove all of it. That’s not a problem. Just remove what you diligently can.
• Have a strainer next to the bowl; and transfer cleaner seeds to the strainer. You will see how much pulp is left in the bowl of water.
• Repeat at least twice.
• The reason to remove the pulp is that it might mold during the drying process; and will certainly mold if the seeds are put away and are not completely 100%, dry ruining the seeds nearby.
• When you feel that you’ve removed the pulp you can, put the seeds on a non-plastic flat surface. Options: a plate, low cardboard box, plant tray with paper bags lining it. You want air flow and a normal room temperature, NOT in the sun.
• Set the seeds to dry out of the way for a week.
• Very important: a couple of times a day, move them around so that they all dry evenly on both sides.
• A thin transparent membrane or film will develop around each or most of the seeds. This is normal and like the white of an egg. No need to remove it at any point including when planting out/direct seeding.

Not all winter squash seeds are tasty when roasted. Just so you know. Happy Autumn!