In this video I show you how to properly clean and save seed from a squash or zucchini...one that is mature and still edible. But I'll also show you what to do when the squash is rotting. You wouldn't expect this, but the steps are a little different.
Last season I grew several types of squash. I had a huge bumper crop especially zucchini. I'm not sure why these though were left out and never brought in but we're going to find a use for them now. They'll be able to provide us some seed and we'll be able to plant them this year...even if it's only a few weeks away. So if you forgot to collect any seed earlier this will give you a good second chance.
When they rot, the flesh breaks down and gets very mushy and most of that liquid stays locked inside. You may think that you could collect and clean these seeds the same way as you would with a regular mature squash but since these are well rotted you you can't do it the same way. Let's first go through how you would normally clean and save the seed from from one that is solid and edible.
To extract the seeds, you want to do it in a way that you get as many as you can but without damaging them so don't slice it clean through straight down the middle. You’ll end up cutting many of the seeds in half. Instead, only make shallow cuts and stay away from the centre of the squash. Sometimes if the skin is too tough it it helps to first peel it. Using just the tip of the knife cut into the skin and just a little into the flesh. Carefully run it down the length and do this on each side. Then pushing with your thumbs gently pry the squash apart. When you split it this way you won't be ruining any of the seeds. Then using a spoon or an ice cream scoop scrape them out along with any pulp and flesh that they're still attached to. Mix all this with water and let it soak for four to five days at room temperature to ferment. This will remove the slippery and slimy coating on the outside of the seeds and also releases them from the pulp.
Once the fermentation is done just pour off the waste by just running them through a few rinses with clean water. Also, when you stir the seeds around and wait for a few seconds the good ones will settle on the bottom and then you're safe to just pour off the fermented pulp. Also any seeds that are not viable they'll be floating so those can be poured off as well.
Go through this a few times and keep rinsing until the water runs clear. Then all that’s left is to dry them.
So that's the method that you would normally do for a good mature squash but for a squash that's rotted out well nature has actually done a lot of that work already. The squash has broken down inside and is all mushy. It's gone through a natural fermentation and may have fermented too long. The seeds are easy to collect but still need to be cleaned. They aren’t slippery any more and don’t need to be soaked. Just use the same method of rinsing with fresh water to clean the seed. Since these were affected by such a long fermentation many are floating and they can't be used for planting and need to be poured off
Also there will be some seeds that split their shell. They absorbed too much moisture while they were fermenting inside the squash. They are no longer viable and need to be discarded. The rest should still be good though.
The last step is to dry them fully so they can be stored and planted later. Right now they're just saturated and that’s giving them a darker appearance. The fastest way is to spread them out on newspaper and leave them in the open like on a countertop. You need the air to circulate around the seeds to help with the evaporation and the paper helps to draw out and wick away the moisture from underneath. This also gives me a chance to move the seeds around every time i walk by they'll dry much quicker when you turn them frequently. Depending on the temperature and humidity the seeds may take up to a week to dry.
After losing all their moisture they're much lighter in weight, they're brighter and completely loose.
They can be stored in envelopes because paper is porous allowing the seeds to still breathe and continue drying in case they have any dampness left in them.
When I tested the germination for these seeds, I got excellent results... close to 100 per cent. I'll be able to use this seed later in the spring but these will also store well and be good to use over the next five years. This technique can also be used for cucumbers, melons and tomatoes too. No matter what time of year it is, whenever you find these rotting in the garden, you'll be able to get some seed from them. Just because they're past their prime or left unpicked at the end of the season they can still serve a purpose!
Thanks again for watching and see you next time on Garden Well Eat Well!
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