DIY Seed Screens

The seed savings process is pretty simple but it can become more involved for certain varieties.  The challenge we’ve found in the Edible Learning Lab is in the process of separating the seed from the chaff and other organic material so that we can store just the seeds for next season.

There are few tools that make that process much easier and you just might be surprised by what can be used.

Use What You Already Have

The process of threshing and winnowing can be painstaking but it is considerably less of a challenge with the proper equipment.  Most kitchens already have colanders, sieves, strainers, and the like. If you look carefully, you will notice that each have different size holes making them suitable for processing seeds of different sizes.

The Teaching Kitchen in the Edible Learning lab has a colander and a small strainer that could be used for certain varieties.

Make Something Yourself

The DIY seed screen can be built to meet your specific needs and tailored to certain varieties.  It’s as simple as selecting the proper screening material.  Our friends at Seed Savers Exchange have created a pretty sweet DIY seed screening plan that you can make yourself.

You can find even more information about saving seed in the full article on the Seed Savers Exchange website.