Seed saving has started here as frost will be coming within a month or sooner. So I will start posting how to save the seeds from the plants you want to start over the winter to have again next year.

How to save pepper seeds:

1. Wait for the pepper to ripen all the way. Even most green bell peppers will turn red when they are totally left to ripen. If you think a frost will kill the plant up-root the entire plant and hang upside down in a cool location until the pepper ripens, and then harvest the pepper for seeds.
2. Cut off the bottom of the pepper and scrape out the seeds onto paper towel to dry.
3. Dry for several days, shaking every day or so to loosen if they stick together.
4. Label and save in a seed packet.

How to save tomato seeds:

1. Wait for the tomato to ripen all the way. If you think a frost will kill the plant up-root the entire plant and hang upside down in a cool location until the tomato ripens, and then harvest the tomato for seeds.
2. Cut the tomato in half the short/across way. Scoop out seeds and jelly into a glass container you can see in. If you are only doing a small amount (1-2 tomatoes) add a little bit of water to the glass.
3. Cover the glass with a paper towel.
4. Leave on your counter for 3-4 days, stirring once per day. A fungus will develop which will eat the jelly off the seeds and also release antibiotics that will keep the seeds and tomato plants healthy later on.
5. After 3-4 days pour more water into the glass, almost to the top. Stir very gently and that will release the rest of the tomato parts from the seeds. Viable seeds will sink to the bottom of the glass, anything that floats to the top can be carefully poured off.
6. Strain and then dump the good seeds out onto a paper towel. Dry them for several days or until you can crack one in half when you try to bend it = it’s too dry to bend, so it just cracks and snaps in half.
7. Label and save in a seed packet.

How to save green bean seeds:

1. When you are harvesting to eat and some get too large to be tasty just leave them on the vine.
2. They should have nice large seeds in the pod by the time a frost comes, if they don’t you may want to pull the entire plant and hang upside down to ripen and dry.
3. If you get some nice large seeds in the pods by the time a frost comes just leave them on the vine until early next spring.
4. In spring time wait for a lot of dry weather, and almost all snow (if you have some) is gone. Harvest the seed pod which should be nice and brittle and brown.
5. Spread the seeds on paper towel for a few days just in case there’s some moisture left in them from the temperature change.
6. Label and save in a seed pouch.

If you buy nice heirloom seeds that are NOT GMO you really shouldn’t have to ever buy them again. Just save the seeds and grow them again next year!!!

Happy seed saving,

Sara