View Single Post
Old September 24, 2007   #6
Suze
Tomatovillian™
 
Suze's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Texas
Posts: 3,027
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Grub View Post
Interesting technique re the blender... my first thought was the seeds would get chopped but I see you've put such fears to rest.

I just split them lengthways, find the seed veins, and flick them out with my fingers or a spoon or screwdriver. Then I dry them.

This is my first year saving eggplant seeds and some are very fertile, but others aren't germinating at all. Mostly I've been successful, but I think there's room for improvement.
I've tried just digging them out of the eggplant before, but that has not worked out too well for me. Must be your delicate touch, Grubs , because I usually end up with a mess.

A few years ago, I read about using a blender to process tomatillo seeds and was skeptical; figured it would chop the seeds for sure. But when it worked, I thought I'd give it a go for eggplant too. You know how when you blend up strawberries to make a fruity drink and the seeds are still there in the mix? Like that, I think. I do doubt this would work for vegetables with larger seeds, like cucumbers.

I germination tested my blender processed seeds this year, and ended up with 80% germination (over 10 days outside in my warm climate), which is fairly decent for eggplant, I think. Might have been a little more if I had waited two weeks.

I've also found I get much better germ results (in the spring) with both peppers and eggplant, if I just go ahead and use a heat mat.
Suze is offline   Reply With Quote