Saving the Seed

What do you see here? 

      
   A tomato? 
               Sandwich inspiration?


What if it could be so much more?



Last week, we hosted our community seed saving workshop at the Hub, where our seed-savvy leaders, Kendra and Hannah, revealed the magical potential held within the heart of this single fruit. This tomato holds upwards of 50 seeds, all with the potential energy to become tomato-bearing plants themselves.  Hundreds of tomatoes at our fingertips! 




It's not just tomatoes that hold this incredible potential. 

It's squash and cucumbers, it's potatoes and flowers! 



Kendra and Hannah showed the group how, with some very basic materials, nearly any fruit, vegetable, herb or flower from the garden (or sometimes even the grocery store) can multiply into much much more!

Beyond walking us through the logistics of saving seeds, they also gave the scientific background on how different types of seeds work!

Ever thought about your plants being male or female? Considered the role of bees?  Sometimes you might even have to help pollinate the plants yourself! And working with hybrids can be quite the gamble! It seems that planting your own seeds can provide you with an intimate insight into how Nature does her work!

In addition to giving the run-down on how to harvest and store seeds and what to keep in mind when planting them, Kendra and Hannah also took a moment to showcase our very own seed saving library! Imagine these colorful little drawers filled with endless potential! You can take what you need and you can share what you have! This is where community really comes into the mix!

Look at this adorable source of 

seed diversity, 

food security, and community strength!

Come on by to check it out, take some seeds, ask some questions, and continue to develop the beautiful community we are all building together here!

Let's all put that bloom in Bloomington!  :)

And join us for our next garden workshop, Wild Edibles! Tuesday, September 20th! 1:30-3:00 pm! 

Or our next kitchen workshop, Fermentation! Wednesday, September 14th, 6:00-8:00 pm!

And click here and here and here and here and HERE for some great seed saving resources 

so you can be part of the fun! 

Seed Saving with Sherry

Last week the Hub offered our annual Seed Saving Workshop with master seed saver, Sherry Wise of Indiana University's Wylie House.  The evening was warm and beautiful, and we walked through the garden collecting seeds and learning the different methods of seed saving used for each plant or plant family.  Pictured above are bolting lettuces ready for a seed harvest.  Sherry taught us that only open-pollinated, non hybrid varieties would offer a plant true to the characteristics of the parent.  She shared an excellent resource from Carole B. Turner's book, Seed Sowing and Saving, Characteristics of Common Vegetables Saved from Seed. 

Roasted Watermelon Seeds

(based on a recipe from about.com)

1 c raw watermelon seeds (black seeds only, not the small white ones)

1 T salt

Water

Rinse thoroughly to remove any remaining watermelon. Drain, then spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet to dry. Drying outdoors in direct sunlight is recommended, but not if you have as many birds and critters as I do who would love to help themselves to the seeds! Roast seeds in a 325 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Spray with oil or cooking spray and sprinkle lightly but evenly with salt. Allow to cool completely before eating.

Note – other melon seeds can be used, too, like cantaloupe and honeydew.

Pumpkin Seeds

Or any kind of winter squash seeds, actually. I've used pumpkin, spaghetti squash, and delicata squash, and have read that other kinds (acorn, butternut, buttercup, hubbard, etc.) work, too. 

Put the seeds in a bowl of warm water and rub them thoroughly to get rid of the slimy stuff. Most of the seeds should be pretty clean anyway, but some will be stuck in the strings. If you squeeze the end that’s stuck in the strings the seeds should squirt right out. (It’s kind of fun, actually!) When the seeds are clean (don’t forget to save the water and the slime and strings for the compost pile), put them in some salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer them for 10 minutes. Drain, and spread them out in a baking sheet that you greased with a tablespoon or so of oil or drippings. Bake on the top shelf of the oven at 400 for about 20 minutes, or until they start to brown. Smaller seeds, like from delicata squash, may be done in as little as 5 minutes, so check them frequently. 

What I like about this way of fixing the seeds is that you eat the whole thing, shell and all. No fussing around trying to shell them, though of course you can if you want to. I was very doubtful about that when I read it and expected to shell the seeds whatever the recipe said, but it turned out that they were right and I was wrong.

They're free, except for the salt and the oil, since you got the pumpkin for Halloween or the squash for the squash-ness of it.

Variations:

1.      Sprinkle a bit of any of the following over the roasted pumpkin seeds (http://www.chow.com/galleries/38/10-ways-to-spice-up-pumpkin-seeds#!562/old-bay-pumpkin-seeds ): cinnamon and sugar, seasoned salt, jerk seasoning (add before roasting the seeds), Old Bay Seasoning, Creole seasoning, wasabi powder and ground coriander, barbeque seasoning (add to seeds before roasting), or jalapeno powder.

2.      Or try these (http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/10/roasted-pumpkin-seeds-spicy-sweet-salty-recipes.html ): Ginger-Orange Zest Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, Cheesy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, or Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds.

3.      Or try your favorite spice blend, either sweet or spicy. I wonder how they’d be with a bit of pumpkin pie spice and sweetener?