Judith in England wrote:

I wonder if there are any chemicals on the paper that would affect them -
if so is there a better way?

Here's how I do it:

Mix the tomato pulp 50-50 with water and put in a jar for a few (3 is
enough; more and some may sprout, depending on variety) days. Leave the
lit loose as they should ferment a bit. Tighten the lid and give a shake
whenever you think of it. Then, mix a bunch of water, shake, let settle,
decant the crud, repeat. When you've got clean seeds, pour into a fine
mesh sieve, put in a breezy place (I stand the sieve in one of those
plastic mesh milk crates and direct a small fan at it). They'll be dry in
a couple of days, and if you just rub the seeds between your hands to break
them apart, you'll have clean seed just like you buy. Takes more time to
describe than to do.


I've seen the machine they use commercially: German-made; think one of
those crank food mills on steroids. But they still ferment and wash.


--
Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/4 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G