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Garden Thyme Blog 

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Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds

9/3/2013

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Picture
Heirloom tomatoes are tomatoes that have been handed down from generation to generation by saving the seeds. These tomatoes, like my chocolate cherry tomatoes, are prized for their exceptional flavor.


Although  you can buy heirloom seeds from seed catalogs, many gardeners prefer to save their own.  Saving the seeds is easier than you might think.

How to Save Tomato Seeds

  • Allow the tomato to ripen fully. Immature seeds will not germinate.
  • Remove the seeds from the tomato, with the gel that surrounds the seed attached.
  • Place the seeds in a jar or bowl of tepid water.
  • Stir the seeds everyday for approximately 5 days. Do not change the water. The fermentation process separates the seed from the gel.
  • Drain the seeds when they have sunken to the bottom of the jar.
  • Spread them on newspaper or paper towel to dry thoroughly.
  • Store the dried seeds in an airtight container for the following year.
  • Label the container with the type of tomato seed it contains.



                                                            Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
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Chocolate Cherry tomatoes melt in your mouth

9/1/2013

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Picture
This year I tried chocolate cherry tomatoes in my garden. I'll admit I wasn't quite sure what to expect from them. I was hoping for interesting color, but what I got was an amazing cherry tomato bursting with flavor.


Although the fruit didn't ripen until the end o August, these delightful chocolate tomatoes were worth the wait. Each cherry tomato is round and plump - approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter - and a deep brown-red that actually resembles the color of chocolate. The flesh inside the tomato is the same delicious shade of brown-red.


But it wasn't just the color of these cherry tomatoes that impressed me. The flavor is amazing. These juicy little morsels are sweet and mild with a hint of fresh plums. Some seed catalogs describe them as tangy, but I don't agree.


If you are looking for a new variety of cherry tomatoes to add to your collection, I recommend giving the chocolate cherry tomato a try.


                         Until next time . . . HAPPY GARDENING!
​
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Copyright © 2014 Nannette Richford



Photo used under Creative Commons from MyArtfulLife
  • Home
  • Garden Thyme Blog
  • Themes
    • Butterfly Gardens
    • Moon Gardens
    • Sensory Gardens
    • All About Fairies
  • Flowers
    • Annual Flowers >
      • Alyssum
      • Cosmos
      • Geraniums
      • Marigolds
      • Morning Glories
      • Nasturtiums
      • Petunias >
        • Reviving Petunias
      • Snapdragons
      • Sunflowers
      • Sweet Peas
      • Zinnias
    • Perennial Flowers >
      • Golden Glow (Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’)
      • Lupines
      • Purple Coneflower (Echinacea Purpurea)
    • Maine Wildflowers
  • Veggies
    • Warm Season Vegetables >
      • About Beans >
        • Growing Beans
        • Growing Pole Beans
        • How to Make a Teepee Trellis
      • About Corn >
        • Growing Corn
        • What is Baby Corn, anyway?
        • Can you grow corn in containers?
      • Cucumbers >
        • Grow a cucumber in a bottle
        • Growing Pickling Cucumbers
        • Growing cucamelons (Mexican Gherkin)
        • Why do cucumbers blossom but fail to set fruit?
        • Trellising Cucumbers
        • Making Cucumber Relish
        • Powdery Mildew on Cucumbers
      • Melons
      • Peppers >
        • Growing Peppers
      • Squash >
        • Growing Zucchini
        • Spaghetti Squash
      • Tomatoes >
        • How to Harden Off Tomato Plants
        • How (and when) to Prune Tomatoes
        • Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom Salt) for Tomatoes
        • Blossom End Rot in Tomatoes
        • Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Hanging Baskets
        • 4 Best Tomatoes for Short Seasons - Early Tomatoes
        • 5 Early Maturing Tomatoes for Short Season Gardening
        • How to Ripen Green Tomatoes
        • How to Make Sun-Dried Tomatoes at Home
        • How to Grow a Pomato Plant
    • Cool Season Vegetables >
      • Cole Crops
      • Greens >
        • How to Grow Spinach
        • How to Grow Malabar Spinach
        • How to Grow Swiss Chard
        • Harvesting and Cooking Beet Greens
        • How to Grow Microgreens
      • Onions & Garlic >
        • How to Grow Garlic
        • How to Grow Onions
      • Peas >
        • Growing Garden (shelling) Peas
        • Growing Sugar Snap Peas
      • Potatoes >
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Containers
        • How to Grow Potatoes in Hay Bales
      • Root Crops >
        • Growing Beets
        • How to Grow Carrots
  • Herbs
    • Growing Basil
    • Growing Chives
    • Growing Lavender
    • Herbal Tea Garden
    • How to Grow a Culinary Herb Garden
    • How to Grow Herbs in Sponges
    • Colonial Herb Garden - Classroom Project
    • Herbed Butter
    • Making Herbed Oils
  • Gardening Basics
    • Seed Starting Basics
    • Grafting Basics
    • Soil >
      • Starting a New Garden
      • How to Prepare Soil
      • How to Test Soil Drainage
      • What Type of Soil Do You Have
      • Soil Mix Recipe for Containers
      • How to Make Compost Tea
      • How to Use Mulch
  • Garden Pests
    • How to Control Japanese Beetles
    • How to Control Blister Beetles
    • How to Get Rid of Colorado Potato Beetles
  • Birds
    • Hummingbirds >
      • DIY Hummingbird Feeders from Recycled Bottles
      • Annuals for Hummingbird Gardens
      • Perennials for Hummingbird Gardens
    • About Birdseed
    • Choosing a Birdfeeder
  • Fiddleheads and Fairies
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • How to Marinate Roasted Vegetables