How to Harvest Seeds From Fresh Vegetables

Choose plants that are disease-free and healthy. Seeds from a vegetable plant that has succumbed to a disease will most likely produce offspring with that same disease.

Cut off some vegetables from the plant to bring inside. Different vegetables have different times for obtaining seed. Vegetables such as beans and peas have the simplest seed-saving method. Leave the beans or peas on the vine until dry and brown; pop them out and store in a dry place for one to two years. Peppers and tomatoes should be left on the vine past the fully ripe stage, but not allowed to rot.

Set your tomatoes aside and skip this step. Cut all other vegetables in half to expose the inside. Scoop out the pulp and seeds with a spoon or your hands. Dig through the vegetable pulp and place the seeds on a flat screen, such as a recycled window screen, to improve air circulation. Place the window screen in a cool location, away from extreme heat. The bigger the seed is, the longer the drying time. Store the dry seeds in a clean, labeled container in a dry and dark location.

Fill a bowl halfway with water and squeeze a sliced tomato into it. Set the bowl aside for at least three days in an area where the foul smell will not bother your household. Stir every morning and evening. When mold starts to appear at the top of the water, add the same amount of water as before. Stir with a wooden spoon and pour off the top portion. The viable seeds should sink to the bottom. Rinse the seeds off with water and lay them out on a window screen to dry for at least one week. Place the seeds in a clean container and keep them in a cool, dark location.