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Kim asked about fermentation. She keeps seeing references to it, but doesn't understand it.
Some seeds come imbedded in a gel mass. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, some squashes, some melons, and other plants. If you try saving these seeds without removing the gel, they stick to themselves, and to everything else they touch.
The gel also contains anti-germination compounds (especially those in tomatoes) so that the seeds do not germinate in the warm, moist environment of the growing fruit.
When you ferment the seeds, it removes the gel. And it destroys many disease pathogens carried by the seeds as well.
There are several variations on the theme. But here are the basic steps:
1. Remove the seed mass and put it in a small waterproof container. I use plastic throw-away glasses myself. But anything will do.
2. Add an equal volume of water to the container. Your instincts will tell you to add more than that, but it is not ncessary, and will slow down the process.
3. Put the container in a warm place, but not in direct sunlight. Stir the mixture once a day.
4. In about three days the process will get going, and will last up to about a week. The good seeds (those that are viable) will sink to the bottom. Everything else---remains of the gel coat, dead seeds, debis, and mold---will float.
5. When you think as much seed as will sink has, gently pour off the crud. Rinse the good seed in several changes of water. Lay them out to dry. Best drying medium is screening, but lot's of people use other things. Seeds will take about three weeks to dry completely.
That's about it.
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