Katra wrote:

Do I need to let these die back and dry naturally, or can I cut the
stalks or remove the pods to let them dry?

Katra-

A little belatedly, but here's what I do for brassicas and things with
similar pods:

Cut the dry flower heads when most of the pods have turned brown and put in
a PAPER shopping bag. I'm save the nice ones with handles from my
infrequent shopping excursions*.

Stash indoors in a dry place until everything is crackly dry- in my
location with hot air heat, this is no problem in the fall/winter! Then
just crumble everything with your hands; the seeds will settle at the
bottom of the bag and you can lift/pour off the big chunks, then just pour
what's left from one pail to another outdoors on a breezy day.
If you're serious about seed saving, a set of screens with various mesh
sizes is a help, though not essential.

Dead easy, most of the work can be done whenever you feel like it.

*I've been on my own for 3+ years; finally having to buy my own clothes.

Peace


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G