How to Store and Harvest Seeds
As you probably know, Monsanto carries a lot of weight due to it's financial wealth, lobbyists, astroturfers and laws designed to protect them. Monsanto has also been trying to create a monopoly on seeds, genetically altering them and making heirloom seeds hard to find. For these reasons, it is a good idea to keep seeds from the food you eat to protect our natural food supply for ourselves and for future generations;. This page will teach you how to collect, store and harvest your seeds.
Always make sure you clean your seeds and remove any food still on the seed. The majority of seeds need to be dried before being stored, but there are a few that do better if kept moist. These are larged-seeded plants and some trees. These are called dessicant-intolerant seeds. Dessicant-intolerant seeds can be stored, but only for a short time and if they are kept moist and in a cool place. It is best to plant them as soon as possible instead of storing them. This is because they start to deteriorate once matured and can become moldy. For this reason, I will focus mainly on seeds that do better when dry. These are called dessicant-tolerant seeds.
Dessicant-tolerant seeds include most seeds that one would normally plant in their food garden. These include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, onion, flowers, peas, and herbal plants, ect.
Methods for drying seeds (after cleaning off all the pulp) are simple. First dry your seeds with a towel or paper towel then lay onto a paper plate or bag, or put into something with plenty of air holes, such as a strainer or tea bag holder. Make sure they are put in a place that is shady, has plenty of air and low humidity to dry. The average minumum amount of time to dry smaller seeds is two weeks. If you are in a more humid climate, more than two weeks is likely necessary. For larger seeds, more than two weeks.
If you live in a real humid environment, using silica gel is recommended. Here are the instructions for using silica gel:"place equal weights of dry silica gel and seeds to be dried in a well-sealed jar for 7 to 8 days. Then transfer the dried seeds quickly into airtight storage jars and place in a freezer, refrigerator or other cool, dark place." (Source:http://howtosaveseeds.com/store.php#intolerant)
When you are ready to store your seeds, first test a couple of samples to see whether they are dried enough. To do this, try to bend one of the seeds. If it bends easily, it is not dry enough--if it breaks easily, then you know it's dried.
To store your seeds, put them in an air-tight container - preferably a jar. It is important to keep them at a stable temperature.
When you are ready to use your seeds and took them out of the freezer, wait until the jars reach room temperature so that not too much condensation/moisture forms when opening.
More:
Seed saving instructions for beginners
How to Harvest, Process and Store Garden Seeds
STOP TRASHING YOUR SCRAPS: 16 PRODUCE ITEMS TO RE-GROW AT HOME
How To Store Fresh Vegetables For Months – Without A Refrigerator