ways to seperate tomato seeds

I wondering if anyone knows any fast and efficient ways to separate tomato seeds?

What are you separating them from?

for seeds

sorry the inside of the tomato

The method I've always heard is to scoop out all the seeds and pulp together, then let them ferment. Wash off the mold and then let the seeds dry before storage.

I use a food strainer to do that. That's efficient, and I get tomato sauce iron and to crown it all!
With some accessories, it can work for elder, pomegranate, and lots of other berries.

is there any way to process a lot at once

hunter holman wrote:is there any way to process a lot at once

http://www.snakeroot.net/farm/SeedSaving.shtml

As that site suggests I dump the pulp and seeds in water. I'm small scale so all this is done in a clear drinking glass or measuring cup.
After a few days the pulp will begin to separate and float, seeds sink. Break up large clumps if needed. Every few days I pour in water, overflowing the container and flushing out the pulp till just seeds remain. Then put the seeds on paper to dry.
This works for many types of seed.

If you cut them lengthwise, you can run your thumbs through the opening and remove most seeds from the tomato. [especially good with Romas, which are taller and whose cavities are well defined [2 or 3 cavities at most]. I put them in a strainer, like a paint filter strainer and rub them together until I feel I have most of the liquid run through. I spread them on a blue Scott's towel and allow to dry. I can them store them.

I scoop them out and spread them as thinly as I can on paper towels. The towels can then be planted when needed. No printing on the towels, just white or brown ones.

When I am doing a lot and don't care about the tomatoes anymore I cut an x on the blossom end then squeeze hard into a bucket. Then I let it ferment for a few days till the gel seperates. Then I spray to rinse.

Think I'll go do that now!

Jennie Little wrote:I scoop them out and spread them as thinly as I can on paper towels. The towels can then be planted when needed. No printing on the towels, just white or brown ones.

We do the same but using cut-out squares from brown paper bags, the material of which is a bit rigid, especially after the seeds and paper are dry.  The paper sheets are then stored upright in a metal container to keep them from nibblers throughout the winter.  Although we pick the seeds off in the spring for planting, like Jennie here we don't mind the paper sticking to a few as it does not hurt seed germination.

I've heard that if you put seeds in plastic bags you should put a little powdered milk in the bag to keep moisture at bay---I did this with my acorn squash seeds and was going to do it with the tomato seeds, but I'm wondering if it is not a good idea to let it get on the seeds.

I don't think powdered milk would hurt the seed but if too much moisture got in it could stick to the seeds. That shouldn't affect much as milk is decent fertilizer. Just might be a bit of a mess at worst. You could always rinse it off your seeds with water when you were ready to plant them. Or crumble it all up, plant the milk with the seeds and water it in as fertilizer.

Color changing silica gel beads can also be used.

If you put the milk or silica beads into a little mesh or fabric pouch respectively they should stay separate from the seed.

William Schlegel wrote:I don't think powdered milk would hurt the seed but if too much moisture got in it could stick to the seeds. That shouldn't affect much as milk is decent fertilizer. Just might be a bit of a mess at worst. You could always rinse it off your seeds with water when you were ready to plant them. Or crumble it all up, plant the milk with the seeds and water it in as fertilizer.

Color changing silica gel beads can also be used.

If you put the milk or silica beads into a little mesh or fabric pouch respectively they should stay separate from the seed.

Thanks--yes I think I'll use paper bags instead of plastic, then the milk may not be as necessary (might try the mesh pouch w/milk in combo with the paper bag though).

Jennie Little wrote:I scoop them out and spread them as thinly as I can on paper towels. The towels can then be planted when needed. No printing on the towels, just white or brown ones.

I have always liked this method too, they never go moldy and I can write on the dry part of the towel what the variety is before I forget.  When I come to plant they are easier to handle and the exact amount needed can be easily cut out with scissors.

Yep, Henry, my method exactly.  I also really like leaving some tomato, courgette, pumpkin or whatever in the soil over winter.  In the spring, when THEY feel it's the right time, they just pop out.  True, I have many, many seedlings.  Some I transplant for my one use, some I give to friends and neighbours, and some I take to my plant and seed exchange - well, used to, now that I have moved, don't know any yet in this area.  I have found that those plants somehow seem to be stronger, maybe just my wishful thinking, but it sure saves me some time.

Emily Elizabeth wrote:I've heard that if you put seeds in plastic bags you should put a little powdered milk in the bag to keep moisture at bay---I did this with my acorn squash seeds and was going to do it with the tomato seeds, but I'm wondering if it is not a good idea to let it get on the seeds.

I had not heard about powdered milk on seeds, but squash seeds are good keepers and probably would not need that treatment. We need to remember that seeds are live tissue: In plastic bags, they suffocate, in high humidity environment they mold, in the sunshine, they dry out and wither. Additionally, some need stratification before they will sprout while others don't. I keep those that need stratification in the refrigerator and mark the storage date.
Most seeds seem to keep best in paper envelopes or cardboard boxes, in a dry and dark place, after being cleaned up. [Make sure you don't have tiny critters on the surface of the seed]. Then, we must keep them away from nibblers of every kind. I keep mine in the house, in favor boxes around which I put a rubber band. Doing something special such as adding some sort of desiccant like milk powder may actually harm them. Plus, then, you need to have an environment in which milk powder will not deteriorate. Any moisture and you may also lose the seeds.