Tomato seeds generally don't survive temperatures above 120-130 degrees F. What you can do is keep the two groups of seed separate and do a germination test of the ones that received the heat. If the heat was too much, they won't germinate at all - none of them.

Ted

Thanks for the advice. That's a good idea. I saved seeds from these tomatoes last year and then misplaced them.
I buy the tomatoes from an Amish neighbor for canning because they are so big and meaty. They don't know what kind they are but they've been saving the seeds for a years. They are big and prolific with a nice mild flavor. I don't like them as well as our Cleota Pinks but they are still very good.
I should ask if I could see the plants as I wonder if they are a potato leaf type. They aren't brandywine and I don't think they are mortgage lifter. Well, back to canning. Thanks again.

I'm betting that a large tomato plunged into boiling water for 45 seconds will still have some viable seeds. It's hard to imagine that the center will reach 120 degrees in that time. Good luck!

I blanch tomatoes all of the time for 60 seconds for easy peeling and the centers of the medium size toms never get anywhere near 100 degrees. Just make sure you throw them in an ice water bath right from the pot so the residual heat can't make it to the seed area.

On the other hand think of the tomato still on the vine in 100+ degree weather for 5-6 hours at a time for days at a time. The seeds are still viable when picked.

All good experiences, but the proof is in the pudding. Do a germination test and you'll know for sure.

Ted

I actually got a batch of Amish Orange that I blanched and saved saved seeds from about a year ago. I didn't think much about it until after the fact but now that the question has been asked I can try and germinate some. I'll be back with results as soon as I have them.

Hmm, I finally noticed that I spelled tomato wrong in the subject line. Sorry folks.
I did save some of the seeds that were blanched. Now if I take care to ferment them etc. I'll experiment next spring.
Also I dumped a bunch of the seeds and skins in a specific spot to see if there will be any volunteer plants next year.
Linda Renee

You can always do a cheap, quick check:

Wet a paper towel, squeeze out the excess water, fold it to fit into a ziplock bag and put some of the seeds in question in between layers (some say they don't even need to be between layers of towel as long as they are in good contact.) Keep the bag closed so they don't dry out. Check every couple days for germination. Keep in a warm place but not in direct sunlight.

Using this test method, there's no need for soilless mix, pots, etc. In fact, some people actually start their seeds this way in the spring and THEN move the germinated ones to pots!

You can also use this method to test germination percent on older seeds--20 seeds lets you calculate germ % in multiples of 5%.

Hope this helps.

I don't can, but if I am making a fresh tomato sauce, I put them in boiling water for 15 seconds to remove the skin. I've never noticed that the seed gel was even warm...

But why not just take 1 good tomato and cut it open to remove the seeds before blanching? That ought to provide plenty of seeds for a home garden.

Thanks everyone for all the input and advice!
I wanted a lot of seeds because I hoped to offer them to the people on seed savers forum who donated seeds to a program with people who have profound disabilities where I work.
These are probably a named tomato but I don't know the variety. The Swartzentruber Amish family I buy them from doesn't know the type. They just call it a low acid tomato and have been saving the seeds for "a long time". The plants produce an amazing yield of large to very large tomatoes. The fruit is meaty and most are round or oblong, rarely lumpy and excellent for slicing. They have good old fashioned flavor.
I actually like the flavor of the brandywine and better yet, Cleota Pinks a little more, but these are very worthy tomatoes.
From the road or vegetable stand I can't tell if the plants are potato leafed or not.
I did save seeds from several nice tomatoes that weren't blanched. Instead of fermenting them the way I usually do, I placed them in a tupperware sandwich container with pinholes punched all through the lid (from different project). They got moldy!!!!!!
Don't know if I'll have any to share or not. Might go buy a few more. They sell individually for .50 a piece.
So.. that's the story behind the seeds!

Linda Renee

Yes you can. I blanched mine this spring, removed the seeds and stupidly threw the seeds on the compost heap. In a few weeks I had a carpet of tomato plants covering the pile. They are still coming up. They are worthless to me since they are mostly F1 hybrids.

john