TPS Seed Extraction

[jayb]

Select soft ripe berries



Cut in half, a good number of seeds



The ripe seeds are surrounded in gel



The pods can be squeezed to encourage the seeds out, or use your finger and thumb to ease them out in half a cup of water.



It's quite easy to see when all the seeds have been removed.



Viable seeds have sunk to the bottom of the pot, they are covered in water and left to ferment. Time varies with temperature and pod ripeness, these fermented for 8 days.

[Galina]

Thank you Jayb, how timely! I felt my berries today and they 'give' very slightly. The purple stripe has got more intensive too. I think they are getting there. No smell yet.

Brilliantly clear pictures. Yes, you've got a lot of seed in the cup.

[Silverleaf]

You know, I'm not convinced that fermentation is necessary. When I processed Desirée seeds in 2014 I literally just rinsed the seeds off in a tea strainer and left them to dry on kitchen paper, and they germinated better than TPS I got from others (which I assume were fermented).

[Silverleaf]

Also I still haven't processed last year's berries! I should get on that.

[Galina]

yes please, any for the seed circle?

[Silverleaf]

Hopefully, if I get time to do it! I'm planning to this weekend.

[jayb]

Fermenting seeds, I'm just going on the general consensus to, I've never set up a trial to see how much it might affect germination. I do prefer fermented tps, I find it easier to dry and process than when it's fresh and really slimey.

Those berries should be good and ripe now

[Silverleaf]

Ripe, definitely. And now I know what you mean about that sweet smell.

[jayb]

Lol, I've some gone way past their best, I think I'll soak them for a couple of days and give them a whiz in the blender!