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Ray, North Dakota

I have listened to some people on how to care for seeds, but now am looking for some detailed info, and not snippets.

I grew my first giant to 518 lbs and it split. I cleaned the seeds and set them out to cure, but evidently it wasn't long enough. One person told me that when the shiney skin falls from them, they are ready to store. I did that, and tonight I found them hot and full of mold.

I know how to clean them, and I set them out on elevated jerky racks. My question is, how long does it take? Days, weeks, months?

I think my problem is that I only gave it 10 or 12 days if memory serves me correctly.

9/7/2006 8:18:44 PM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

it obviously wasn't enough time, did you have a fan on them?, I would leave them out for about 3 weeks with the fan on oscillate, low speed

9/7/2006 8:33:17 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Herbie, can you describe how you "set them out"...that might help us help you with your problem. If humidity was not too high, and air circulation was sufficient...10 or 12 days might have been enough...but, evidently not...I have heard minimum of 2 weeks with proper conditions. I would try a quick rince in a weak hydrogen-peroxide solution, and setting them back out, with air-flow...might be too late, might not??? Peace, Wayne

9/7/2006 11:44:53 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Rinse...check my spelling

9/7/2006 11:45:48 PM

Leamington, Ont.

Even a ceiling fan will do. Keep the air circulating. After about 24hrs the skin should easily begin to fall off or be easily removed. when I get all the skin off I let them dry for at least a week or two. Keep the air moving the whole time...Very important!

9/7/2006 11:48:20 PM

Leamington, Ont.

Doh...guess I need to type faster Wayne...LOL

9/7/2006 11:49:46 PM

ENGLAND

Herbie. What you need to do is basically dehydrate the Seeds and one thing not mentioned above is the fact you need HEAT as well as air circulation to dehydrate them. You are not going to dry/dehydrate those seeds with just air circulation unless the air being circulated is warm enough to actually cause dehydration. I have read that some folk use food dehydrators to dry Seeds out but if you do not have one then a fan heater set to set to medium heat and medium fan speed will do a good job.

To allow this warm air to circulate to as much of the Seeds surface area as possible set all the Seeds out on a mesh with 1/8th inch holes ensuring no seeds are over lapping or touching one another. The type of mesh to use is ideally the same type that bird nut feeders are made out of which, here in the UK can be bought in sheets about 3ft X 2ft. Make wooden frames, to your desired size, to hold the mesh ridgid and there you have a Seed Drying rack. If you want to see a picture of the ones i made just let me know and i will Email a picture or two to you.

Once the Seeds have been drying on the racks for about 2 days turn the seeds over so as to reposition them on the drying rack. After another 2 days repeat and continue to do this for 10 to 15 days or until the seeds appear to be dry. The very fine film that developes on the Seeds is best removed as soon as it can be as it can trap moisture in the Seeds. I have dried several thousands of Seeds on the racks, using the method described above, and never had any Seeds go mouldy or over dehydrate which can happen.

I hope the above helps a little.

Regards
Mike

9/8/2006 5:54:41 AM

Ray, North Dakota

Thanks again everyone.

The seeds were so hot Wayne, that I am sure the germ was killed. They were cooked and slimy in spots. I see it all the time with heat damaged grain.

The jerky racks I use to dry the seeds are from Cabelas. They stack on top of each other and do not take much room. I may put my heating pad under them, the same one I used to start the seeds, because it does not get above 80 F on the low setting.

I won't ruin this next batch. Slow and easy. I am thinking of trying to test the moisture of them using the moisture tester at work. Never know.

9/8/2006 8:31:45 AM

ENGLAND

Herbie. Don't stack those Jerky racks on top of one another as the evaporating moisture from the lowest rack will just condensate on the underside of the rack above it. Also, remember to get a fan going to move the heat from that heat pad up through the Seeds if you cannot use a fan heater.

Regards
Mike

9/8/2006 11:57:34 AM

San Jose garysand@pacbell.net

I do not believe you "need" heat to cure the seeds, at least not in california, our humidity is low and temps are usually pretty warm, and if you are doing the drying in any house those conditions are usually the case

9/8/2006 4:03:04 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

any heat greater than 140° will kill the seeds. A Fan is more than plenty as long as the air gets to circulate.

9/8/2006 4:10:34 PM

Syracuse, NY

okay, herbie, all good answers and ideas and suggestions above.

in continuation of my email to you earlier
on how i do it, if you have ever seen a Joel Holland
video you will see that HE the man uses a food dehydrator.

the one i use is like, i think, Nature's Harvest or
something like that, looks like a big cake carrier or
something with about 4 circular trays.
now, i KNOW, no one wants to spend $40 on a food dehydrator,
but after i myself had spent 2.5 to 3 weeks in 2001
drying seeds in the basement and some of them still had gotten a black mold on them (there were about 10 types/crosses of seeds) even with a fan on low and oscillating toward them, the following year, i HAD to get me a 'foody', lol. (hydrator, that is)
Wal-Mart, if you are near one or if they even have them where you are, should stock them.
i did not have to look any further;
that was the first and last place i had to look.
it will be well worth it!

9/8/2006 7:02:15 PM

Syracuse, NY

anyway, if you DO get one, just turn its heat control to its lowest setting (i always have a digital thermometer probe in with the seeds; temp. varies from 95-100 degrees F)
and put a piece of duct tape over its control(!) so they don't have a mishap.
IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE CROSS OF SEED, YOU MUST PUT
CUT-OUT WINDOW SCREEN ON THE TRAYS to keep the seeds from falling through onto the next tray down!
ahem, it is very easy. and works nice.
here is the big picture:
YOUR SEEDS WILL BE TOTALLY DRIED AND READY FOR
"JARRING" (MASON JARS I USE) IN 96 HOURS. FLAT RATE
@ 95-100 DEGREES F. sorry for the caps, but
this is the quickest way to do it, believe me.
otherwise, yes, spread out the seeds on a table,
each cross on top of aluminum foil (do NOT use newspapers!) or window screens or anything that the seeds will not stick to. fan on low, on oscillate, in a low-humidity area
free from varmints(!) and no, the seeds should not be
clumped together or layered at all.
then, about 2.5 to 3 weeks later...peel 'em up, put 'em in jars, label 'em, and yer done! later--eric g

9/8/2006 7:02:28 PM

ENGLAND

Guys. When i stated heat in my above post i didn't mean so hot as to cook the Seeds but just enough to help and encourage dehydration. I don't live in California (unfortunately) therefor the very very successful method of drying Seeds, as i described above, has worked 100 percent for me and many others who have adopted this method of Seed drying.

9/9/2006 10:09:08 AM

Ray, North Dakota

I understand low heat drying. For wheat or barley in a grain dryer, farmers use low heat to not kill the germination for seeding the following year. Usually around 90-100 deg works.

My wife informed me we have a food dehydrator from our wedding. It is now 8 years old and still new in the box. Good thing that hasn't hit a garage sale yet.

9/9/2006 4:11:19 PM

Long Island,New York

Seeds should snap when you break them in half.Films should blow off easily. Then add a week. I use screens separated by dixie cups stacked infront of a fan. Mark the screens....don't just put a labeled piece of paper on the rack..fans can blow them off. The snap is the key....I can see Dick wallace breaking 1068's in half everyday for a week til its right...lol.....ouch.

9/9/2006 5:28:15 PM

Ray, North Dakota

I only have the one pumpkin left to cure seeds for lol. I won't screw up the cross!

Thanks again everyone.

9/10/2006 12:15:31 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Putting the seeds in a dehydrator over night has worked for me, never had a problem.

9/15/2006 8:43:57 AM