Have you ever overlooked a cucumber growing in your garden only to find it when it turns yellow and is way past the point of eating? I hate to waste any produce. Don't throw it away! If it is an open pollinated, heirloom cucumber, save the seeds. Here's what you do:
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| Over-ripe cuke |
Leave it on the plant to continue to grow until you see the vine that is attached to it turn brown and wither.
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| Hard to miss this yellow fellow |
After a few weeks, the cucumber is ready to harvest for seeds. It is kind of soft, just cut the stem.
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| Ready to pick for saving seeds |
Cut it in two pieces with a sharp knife and this will expose the seeds.
Use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds onto a plate.
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| Scooped out cuke seeds |
Add some water to a glass and dump the seed mixture into the water.
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| Cucumber seeds in water |
Sit the glasses of water with cucumber seeds on a window sill for 3 or 4 days. The reason there are two glasses is that I had another cucumber as well that I was saving seeds from.
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| Setting out to ferment for a few days |
When you've got a smelly, fermented solution growing on top of the water, you know it is ready to drain. Fermentation helps to kill viruses or disease organisms on the seed.
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| A nice layer of mold and scum |
Pour the mixture into a sieve and shake. Separate the pulp and fleshy parts from the seeds.
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| Running the seeds through a sieve |
Now place the seeds on a paper towel for a couple of days to completely dry out.
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| Seeds are drying |
After a couple days, remove the seeds from the paper towel.
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| Seeds are dry! |
At this point they are ready to be stored. I store mine in old vitamin bottles that are not transparent and have a good seal to keep out moisture. I also label the bottle so I know what's in it as some seeds are very similar.
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| Label on a seed storage container |
I'll store this with my other seeds and this will save me from having to buy seeds next Spring. I can simply dig in my seed bank for seeds. Hopefully the germination will be good. We'll know in 8 months or so...
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