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In a nutshell: Keep seeds safe in glass or metal jars with rubber gaskets, and store your tiny treasures in a cool, dry place.
The whole story: As a seed saver, you have two goals- be sure your seeds are dry before storing; and make sure they stay dry. "The cooler and drier conditions you store your seeds in, the better," says Suzanne Ashworth, author of Seed to Seed.
So how do you tell the difference between a sort-of-dry bean and a bean worthy of storage? Smash it with a hammer! Beans (and other legumes, grains, and even smaller seeds like tomatoes) shatter when they are dry enough to store. If the seed just smooshes, it wasn't dry enough. Seeds from cucurbits (squashes and melons) should snap in half instead of bending when you apply pressure.
Some low-tech ways for drying seeds: Put the seeds or seed pods in a dark, warm, dry place for one to two weeks after harvesting, or place them in a gas oven (with just the pilot light on) and check them every few days.
A more modern and reliable approach is to use silica gel, a product designed to absorb moisture (it's available at most craft stores). Enclose the seeds in labeled paper or cloth bags and weigh them. Add an equal weight of silica gel to a glass jar with a rubber gasket, such as a canning jar. Place the bag of seeds in the jar and seal it tightly. If you use "color indicator" silica gel, it will turn from blue to pink as it absorbs moisture. Most seeds, large or small, reach optimal dryness (between 4 percent and 8 percent moisture content) within seven or eight days. Test the seeds to make sure they're dry when you remove them from the jar.
Once your seeds are dry, place them in clean paper envelopes labeled with their botanical name and date, and then seal the envelopes in a glass or metal jar with a rubber gasket. Place the jar in a dark, cool, dry place (an unheated basement room is ideal) or into your freezer.
And don't worry if your house doesn't have ideal conditions, says Ashworth. "Seeds that you buy at the store are often stored in the worst possible conditions." Fluctuating temperatures, humidity, and light levels all reduce the viability of seeds. Your carefully stored seeds are much more likely to germinate!
Editor's Note: For more information on saving seeds, please refer to Ashworth's book Seed to Seed, 2nd edition (Seed Savers Exchange, 2002).
