Harvesting Zucchini Seeds

Today we're showing you how we harvest zucchini seeds.
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[@chelritchie]

LOVE the outtakes at the end!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Well, yeah things don't really go as smoothly as it seems sometimes...ok, most of the time! Glad you enjoyed them. It's always been one of our favorite parts of watching a movie, so we include them as much as possible.

[@graceann8665]

Mine was only 18 inches but I didnt keep one until end of the season and picked just before frost. The end seeds are definitely larger. I followed your cutting pattern until the sides - my knife was too dull. However I had great success scooping them out with a spoon - like you would a pumpkin. I might try the newspaper idea in the comments to help dry out, or a paper towel. Thank you for the video- so I knew what to do.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad this one helped out a bit!

[@RichBurris2]

Road Runner running by over your right shoulder right near the start. LOL

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Richard. Good catch! We call him Rocky. He's pretty much a permanent squatter on the farm these days. We've seen another one from time to time and it's interesting to see how they react when they're both around the bird bath at the same time. Amazing birds.

[@davidbauman7234]

Where do I send the 3 bucks for my 12 seeds. I planted zucchini in my tree Wells last year, worked great. Also planted Patty pans I was giving Patty pans out by the bag full to everyone I know off 4 plants. We ate so many that my wife suggested that we only grow them every other year 😉 lol . Nice job on the videos I usually watch them at lunch time and yours are always the first one I click on, because they always put me in a good mood.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey David. Thanks for the kind words and encouragement. Haven't tried the patty pans yet, but great idea on growing these in the tree wells. Squash and melons just seem like the right thing to cover the ground with in those areas!

[@pyromantis]

This is wild. I am leaving one zuchinni from one of my giant zuchinni plants to just grow out. It's getting big and dark green. Hope it gets this big and produces lots of seeds for the next growing season. Not having to buy seeds would be a plus! I know why dad is loving it.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's amazing to see just how big these are designed to get. We're all used to harvesting them when they are very young and when you grow them out for seeds you really get an idea of what the fruit is supposed to look like when it's fully mature!

[@pyromantis]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Agreed!

[@pyromantis]

I just cut my monster zucchini of 20" off. Time to rock

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@pyromantis woohoo! Fingers crossed for a monster load of seeds!

[@pyromantis]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Yep. Fingers crossed!

[@robinr.770]

Did your seeds come from Native Seed, perhaps? That squash looks fantastic. I imagine you probably harvested 300 seeds from that one fruit, at least. Fantastic for you!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Robin. I think we bought these from Summer Wind nursery, but not 100% sure on that one. These squash were truly amazing. Hoping these will produce similar results.

[@sgrvtl7183]

Love this! Just seeing this 09.10.2022. How did your next growing season produce with these seeds?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

They did pretty good. We actually moved and then took a season off before planting, but they still had a fantastic germination rate.

[@brotherdaveshillbillyhomes9045]

roasted summer squash seeds are all delicious/nutritious

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I have to agree. It's a taste of full in the middle of summer!

[@conchasalazar131]

wow new subscriber

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you found us and thanks for subscribing. This is an old one!

[@Spiethstar]

Didn't expect this manny seeds. I'm gonna leave the zucchini intact throughout the winter and collect them when I need them. This way they a protected perfectly, I guess

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

If nothing else, you'll have great fertilizer to get them started come Spring!

[@Dr_Peeper_ICU]

Best to have some pi when working with circles. A little memory aid to double check that a circle calculation doesn't actually require stupid a$$ pi. Diameter is just over 5". We all know Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally. A lesser known one. "Breakfast at 7, Lunch at Noon, Dinner at 5." That's the # of each type of vertebrae we have starting from the top. 7 Cervical, 12 Theoretic, 5 Lumbar. Anatomy instructor said that once and that was all it took. Remembered it for life.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

A little bit of apple pi maybe!

[@craigesandberg2586]

I cut 2-3” off both ends then cut down both sides about 1” so not cut any seeds then split in half “wallah” seeds in both half’s.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great suggestion Craige, will have to try that next time!

[@sadsky4811]

New to this. I grew Zucchini for the 1ST time this year and they did amazing! Giant tender sweet Zucchinis and I want to save the seeds! Can I put the dry seeds in mason jars, zip lock bags, paper bags? What is the best method to preserve them?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Glad you were successful with going zucchini! Its amazing how much better it is then anything you can buy from the store. For the seeds, after you harvest them and let them dry completely, you can store them however you want, we have used mason jars, ziplock bags, seed envelopes, tupperware... we now mostly use the seed envelopes and have them in a binder with sleeve pouches.

[@sadsky4811]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thank you for the reply. Hoping I am successful at saving some. 🙏🙏🙏

[@hellymia88]

Just seeing this now.🙈 I was wondering how long have you let the seeds dry for? Did you put them in a dehydrator, the oven or did you just let them dry on that baking sheet? Thank you in advance.:-)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there Helena. We let them dry completely on the counter before putting them in a Ziplock baggie. It's hard to say exactly how long that will take as humidity will play a huge role in that, but it usually takes a week or two for them to completely dry here in our extremely dry AZ weather.

[@gugushabangu4097]

Hi, can this work after I have harvested this giant zucchini and left it in a dry spot for weeks. Ive noticed that it too started to harden and change color. Wondering if I should just eat it or allow it to continue.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's hard to say for sure, but you may wind up with viable seeds. The only way to know for sure is to plant a few and see what happens!

[@lindapasquali2670]

How long would you say it takes to fully dry these mature seeds?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

It's typically a few weeks for us here in the desert. Dry, hot weather speeds things up a bit. It may take longer if you're in a cooler climate as both temp and moisture effect that drying time. If you're unsure, leave them out for a few months to dry completely. It shouldn't effect your germination rate with young seeds like that.

[@CFFarm]

Are you going to prepare and eat the zucchini you just took the seed from or discard it?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Cathie. These we fed to our chickens not knowing for sure what it would look like inside this variety. Next time we'll be baking them for ourselves for sure!

[@brotherdaveshillbillyhomes9045]

Just cut it in half lengthwise, you will not lose very many seeds....and it is a lot easier.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Excellent suggestion!

[@Wolfie1038]

Very good video. I tried to save seeds from my zucchini a couple times and both times, they wound up looking brown, shriveled up, and flat. I don't think they are any good. Can they be overly dried out? What did I do wrong? This year I still have 1 out in the garden I am letting go. I heard to let it go until it turns yellow before I try. Is that right? Yours wasn't yellow.....please help. Thanks.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Wolfie. It can be a bit hit or miss with squash seeds. Sometimes we are able to harvest them at the point you see here and we're ok and other times it has to nearly rot on the vine before they're viable. If you're not sure, plant one and see what happens. That's the only way to know for sure.

[@lynnelaw]

Would the seeds from much smaller zucchini be okay to be harvested and saved for future use? I have recently planted some zucchini seeds from a baby zucchini that I bought from store. Not sure if they will germinate.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey there, that's a great question! Usually the seeds need to "mature" before they can germinate. However, we have had seeds sprout from younger fruit before so there's still a chance you'll see some come up. Your best bet is to purchase a pack of seeds and then let a few grow into gourds (fully mature) and then harvest them. This way you know for sure you should see some of them sprout. Fingers crossed your experiment pays off!

[@lynnelaw]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks very much for your reply. That gave me good insight. Unfortunately, it has been 2 weeks and my zucchini seeds haven't sprouted yet. I guess I should get some matured seed the nusery

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@lynnelaw mm, I had a feeling that might happen. Next time around you can let one of your zucchini get large enough to have a hard shell and that is a good time to harvest the fruit for the seeds.

[@phillippinter7518]

Did it work? Or was it an f1 hybrid that reverted back to its parentage?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

They did sprout, but they were a different type of squash, so it did revert back.

[@brotherdaveshillbillyhomes9045]

Leave on the vine until it is mostly yellow and then you will have 100% mature seeds

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

That's good to know. It makes sense as it would be completely mature at that point.

[@mishy6983]

So if I've had the zucchini in the fridge for a few days and then harvest the seeds, will they still be ok for next year?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yes, that won't negatively effect the germination rate of those seeds.

[@TheBruce571]

I took seeds from a pumpkin and threw them in the freezer for 2 years completely forgetting they were there. I threw them in the ground this year just to see what would happen and they sprouted insanely fast.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Ooh, now that is interesting. Need to give that a shot with some of the larger seeds we keep around!

[@crispusattucks4007]

Would you cook the squash afterwards or is it too bitter?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question and we have tried the cooked squash after removing the seeds. It's not bad. I would say it's similar to a mix between a pumpkin and acorn squash. Not quite as sweet though.

[@crispusattucks4007]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm thanks for the reply. I’m gonna try it… first gotta get a two footer

[@crispusattucks4007]

Update, I only got a one footer, but still got some decent seeds from it. Thanks again ✅

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@crispusattucks4007 that's good to hear. As long as the seeds are fully mature, you should be good to go!

[@stiggy7778]

Dont be cheep skate just cut is long way you will still get more seeds what you can use

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

I prefer to think of it as frugal....:)

[@dakotakennedy9581]

Bubb. Wack it with a maklet getly along the length. As long as you left it to dry long enough it will crack right open

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Excellent suggestion!

[@sunniharrison9639]

Do you need to ferment them first?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hmm, I don't think so. They seem to be doing fine without any fermenting.

[@escapetherace1943]

yeah the answer's no I saved seeds from a few squashes and I fermented and I also didn't ferment some..... they all germinated with a 100 percent germ rate whether they were fermented or not, though 1 plant shriveled up and died to disease as a seedling (I'd mixed them up by then). In the case of my tomatoes, fermenting seemed to increase the germ rate slightly, but ultimately I think if you're saving a fair bit of seeds it doesn't matter at all. Right now I've been enjoying unlimited zucchinis from a few plants far larger even than the one in this video, it's insane.. also harvested a blue hubbard, I very much enjoy that species.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@escapetherace1943 glad to hear you guys are having such great germination rates on your seeds. It's amazing to see the abundance just one seed can create. We haven't grown blue hubbard before, so I think it's time to place that seed order!!!

[@escapetherace1943]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm they're worth growing 1-2 plants if you at least wanna try them

[@allanturpin2023]

Ooh, creepy look in the opening shot... the lighting and shades made it look like you were wearing a skull mask. Nice seed collection vid.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Oh man, now I need to go back and watch this again!

[@allanturpin2023]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm- I should have said cool/creepy... nothing to stress about.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Ok, just watched the intro again and you're right! Need to remember this one for Halloween.

[@allanturpin2023]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm- a zucchini ghoul

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@allanturpin2023 Phantom of the Squash

[@kelvenguard]

Did they Grow when planted ?

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Great question. We have yet to plant any of these seeds after moving to the new farm, so we don't know yet! It was a hybrid variety, so we truly will not know what to expect until the first fruit is harvested.

[@kelvenguard]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm Thanks... I watched an older lady's video on Y T about the Larger Zucchini's and she kept them at room temp till December and later... She said the seeds keep growing and maturing inside the zucchini... during the winter months she would cut them in half and scrap out the seeds and save for planting and she would still use the white meat inside the zucchini for many recipes... Seeds will last forever if kept dry and in a dark place...

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@kelvenguard I've seen a few videos of folks keeping these longer and even having sprouted seeds when they open up the gourd. I think we'll need to give that a shot.

[@kelvenguard]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm yep.... I tell my Daughter (28) we need to learn the ways of our Grandparents (her Great Grand Parents) to survive in these end times :)

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@kelvenguard Amen to that!

[@rosenixon2832]

That’s almost as big as my luffas!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Rose! I know, we just couldn't believe how big this one grew. Lori is all about trying luffa. Are they as easy as I've heard?

[@rosenixon2832]

Edge of Nowhere Farm they’re easy once you get them started. They’re tricky to start though. Bad germination rate, have to have good soil and a trellis and a LOT of water. I’ll trade you my desert acclimated luffa seeds for some desert acclimated zucchini seeds!!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@rosenixon2832 Hmm, that's interesting that they're hard to germinate. Usually gourds and squash are easier than some others. Once we see how these seeds do I think your seed swap sounds like a good deal!

[@juliamarcus968]

I PUT MY SEEDS IN NEWSPAPER AND FOLD IT IN HALF AND KEEP CHECKING IF THE PAPER IS DAMP I CHANGE.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Hey Julia! Wow, now that is a great hack to make sure your seeds are completely dry. Thank you for sharing!

[@kylanvanemmerik9397]

Do you still have seeds??

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Not sure if we have any left from this harvest, but we have 2 zucchinis now that we left on the plant to collect more seeds from.

[@madulaob]

WOW!!you must love your voice, it took you forever to say a very small amount of useful info

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Amazing what nerves can do when you're staring at a camera.

[@SparkleSister7]

That was a rude and unnecessary comment. I enjoyed the video and thought it was very useful! And I happen to like your speaking voice. Good delivery!

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

@@SparkleSister7 we've learned to roll with the punches around here, but thank you for the kind words. 😊

[@sunnybrookphoto]

This could have been a five minute video.

[@EdgeofNowhereFarm]

Yup.

[@sunnybrookphoto]

@@EdgeofNowhereFarm I’m sorry. I was trying to watch with a toddler in my lap while grating our oversupply of zucchini. I got impatient. There’s no excuse for being a dick online. I’m sorry.