Editor:

Thanks to Heather Jo Flores for educating us about seed saving ("Seed Saving Made Simple," Oct. 22). I have a tip to make it even simpler.

I have been saving seeds for 40 years and have developed the easiest way possible to do the "wet processing" mentioned in the article. There is no soaking, no mold, and no stink!

Eliminate all that and use my tried and true method to keep and dry wet seeds (tomatoes, peppers, etc.). You will need a common wire mesh kitchen strainer and a strip of masking tape. Write the veggie name on the masking tape and tape it to the handle of the strainer. Now, squish the juicy seeds into the strainer. Hold the strainer under cold water and rub the seed mass around and around against the wire mesh until all the gooey mass is rinsed out and all that remains are the cleaned up seeds. Smear the seeds out on the surface of the strainer mesh, ending up with a single layer of seeds.

That's it! Now hang the strainer in a space where it can dry completely, for a week perhaps. Rub the dry and crispy seeds off the screen and into a paper envelope. Take the masking tape and affix it to the envelope. Write the date, and all pertinent info on the envelope. Take the envelope and place it in a tightly sealed quart jar. Store in cool, dark place. You may freeze the seeds, in the jar, for a week to kill all bugs.

Seeds will keep for a few years using this method. And it sure is easy! (No mold! No stink! No Dehydrator!)

—Randy Krahn, Bridgeville