For gardeners interested in saving vegetable seed from their garden, a dry, sunny day in early fall is the perfect harvest day. Wait until the sun has dried the plants before starting – you want to store seeds as dry as possible. And don’t be overly concerned about collecting after the first frost; most seeds are not damaged by frost.

If you are a novice, start with tomatoes, for they are the simplest seeds to collect and store. Pick fruits that are slightly overripe and soft, just past the point where you would eat them and before they rot. Harvest the best fruits from your outstanding plants. Slice open each tomato, rake out the seeds with a fork, and spread them on top of a thick pad of newspaper. (If you are harvesting more than one variety, write the variety name on the top sheet of newspaper.)

After the seeds have dried for at least two weeks, remove the top layer of paper with the seeds stuck to it, roll it up, and keep it in a tightly closed container over the winter. It’s as simple as that. To sow the seeds in spring, all you have to do is scrape them from the paper.

Once you have experienced success, you may feel the urge to save seeds from varieties that are more challenging to harvest. For example, seeds of lettuce, onions, and broccoli (and other members of the cabbage family) ripen one stalk of seed at a time over a period of several weeks. In order to collect the seeds as they are released (often in your absence), you must tie small paper bags over the developing heads to catch and hold the seeds.

Whether harvesting is simple or difficult, the next step, the post-harvest drying period, is essential for all seeds. No matter how dry the seeds appear when collected, give them at least another week of drying, spreading them on newspaper in a dry, well-ventilated place. Change the paper once or twice, if necessary, to ensure complete dryness.

Store the dry seeds in the dark between 32 degrees F and 41 degrees F. Recommended storage containers include film containers (plastic or metal), vitamin bottles, baby-food jars, and cans with metal lids. Small quantities of seed can be kept in individual envelopes inside a tightly sealed jar.

A final caveat: never harvest seed from diseased plants. Many plant diseases are transmitted to the next generation through the seed.

Seed Collection and Storage Tips for Selected Vegetables

BEANS – Leave the pods on the plant until they are dry and brown and the plant is nearly leafless. Try biting a sample bean; it should be difficult to make a dent in a seed that has dried properly. Pull the whole plants and stack them in a cool dry place to cure for another week. Threshing (separating the seed) can be done by hand or by flailing the plants in a threshing bag (available from garden supply houses).

CUCUMBERS – Leave the fruit on the vine until it becomes fat and yellow. Frost will not damage the seed, but do not let the fruit rot. Cut the fruit lengthwise, scrape out the seed pulp, rinse the seeds as clean as possible and air dry.

MUSKMELONS – Melon seeds are ripe when the fruit is ready to eat. Just spoon out the seeds, rinse thoroughly and air dry for a week.

PEPPERS – Seeds are ripe when the fruit turns red. If necessary, pick before frost and allow the fruits to ripen indoors. Simply cut off the top of the pepper and shake out the seeds; they seldom need washing. Dry for two weeks before storing.

PUMPKINS – Fork out the seeds from fully ripened fruits, wash off the pulp, and dry the seeds indoors for two weeks. Throw out any flat seeds – they lack an embryo and will not grow.

Source: “The New Seed-Starters Handbook,” by Nancy Bubel (1988, Rodale Press, ISBN 0-87857-752-1).