I've read of many ways to save seeds, but the method on gardenweb seems to work best, although I've tweaked their method a bit. I bought heirloom tomato seeds this Spring so that I could save seeds for next year: a cute little Yellow Pear, a Beefsteak, and some Martino's Roma Tomato (very similar to San Marzano). I was just making Freezer Tomato Sauce and knew it was the perfect time to save seeds.
You can save them without fermenting, but I had some powdery mildew issues and other things with my tomato plants this year, so I decided to ferment the seeds to ensure none of those diseases or fungus issues stuck with the seeds. I also chose tomatoes from the plants that seemed to fare the best against the issues that I had (note: Yellow Pear Tomatoes are pretty resistant to powdery mildew).
Squeeze the seeds out into mason jars, then I added a little bit of water and label them. Cover the tops with a coffee filter secured with a rubber band. Leave them in a warm place out of direct sunlight for three or four days, swirling contents to mix every day. Then, rinse the contents in a fine mesh strainer then spread the seeds onto a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper and let the seeds dry for at least five days. Package into brown paper bags and store in a cool, dry place for next Spring.
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