Saving Melon Seeds

 I wanted to purchase some fruit to chop up and freeze for smoothies, and this little melon was one of my selections! I figured, after I brought it home, that it would also afford me the opportunity to show you how to save melon seeds. As discussed in my Finding Seeds to Plant post, watermelon seeds are pretty easy to save. Eat the watermelon, spit out the seeds, wash them and let them dry. Other types of melon are pretty dang easy, too! Most melons resemble squash and pumpkins in how their seeds are situated, so you just need to scrape out their "guts" to get to the seeds! First off, gather together your tools: a cutting board, a sharp knife, a spoon, a mesh sieve, a small bowl, and some paper towels.




Cut your melon in half, then use your spoon to scrape out the guts. After I scraped out my melon I put my guts into a bowl and used my spoon to separate the seeds from the guts.







I peeled and chopped up the fruit, putting the fruit in the freezer and flinging the rinds out for the animals to eat. The chickens peck the fruit off, then the goats eat the rinds. The ducks are clueless about food flung out the door. They do not realize what they are missing out on.

Once you have your seeds and guts thoroughly separated (it's okay if a little fruit matter gets in) put them into your sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Make sure you rinse away all of the sugar and pick out any remnants of the guts. A sticky seed is an unhappy seed, and may turn into a rotten seed.









Lay your newly washed seeds out on some paper towels and allow them to dry completely. Store in an envelope or zip top bag to plant next year. I always mark my seed receptacle with the date, and the type of seed, so that there is no confusion on what it is or how long it will last.