[ContainerTed]

Salty, I personally feel that too much emphasis is placed on that fungal mat. As long as the seeds have sunk to the bottom and the gel sacs have all dissolved away, there is no more that can be done. The sole purpose of the process is to separate the seeds from the gel sacs. It is beneficial if the complete fermentation process is accomplished, as this will kill off many of the seed borne pathogens.

And, you can plant those seeds wet whenever you feel the urge. Drying is only useful for storing seeds over time. So, you can take some seeds right out of the freshly cut tomato and plant them immediately. Even if the gel sac is still attached, it will only delay germination a few hours while the gel dissolves.