My first ever experience with saving chilli seed was with the variety 'Trinidad Scorpion' (rated amongst the hottest chillis on earth).  'What could be simpler' I thought. 

There were only about 25 chillies to harvest seed from.  Just cut them open, scrape out the seed and place on a tray to dry.  Easy! In the back of my mind I vaguely remembered something saying you should wear gloves and eye protection but just brushed it off.  I didn't think I needed it.  It's only a few chillies .......  

So I began, yet after about the 10th chilli my hands started to get a strange tingling sensation which increased in intensity quite rapidly.  I was on about the 18th chilli and my hands were on fire - as if they were left on a hot plate!  No amount of water or washing could relieve the pain!  I was home on my own and looked on the internet for anything that would relieve the intensity - soaking in milk, rubbing with oil etc.  NOTHING WORKED!!!!!  Finally I googled 'How long does the pain last for - the response around 24 hours!!!  

Home alone with no close family or neighbours I decided to settle in for the night and wait it out, with some (albeit very mild relief) from alternate hot and cold water.  Sleep finally came at 11pm.............

At the end of it - after it was all over - I had a good seed saving story to tell and a lesson learnt!

FAMILY:  Solanaceae
INCLUDES:  Chilli, Capsicum
LIFE-CYCLE:  Frost-sensitive perennial.  Typically grown as an annual in cooler areas.
FRUIT TYPE:  Fleshy fruit
 

 GROWING             
POPULATION SIZE:  
     For Viable Seed:  1 plant
     For Variety Maintenance:  5-20 plants
     For Genetic Preservation:  50 plants
SPACING:  Same as when grown for eating
SEED GERMINATION:  Best when soil temperature is above 24'C 
ROGUING:  Remove any diseased or unhealthy looking plants, or insect affect fruit
OTHER:  None


 POLLINATION (Keeping it Pure)             
FLOWER TYPE:  Perfect, self-fertile flowers are borne singly or in small clusters.
MATING SYSTEM:  Self Pollinated; Insect Pollinated
ISOLATION MEASURES (to prevent cross pollination):  (select any one of the options below)
Distance: 91 to 488 metres between varieties
Blossom Bagging - place blossom bags over flower clusters before they open.  Once plants have set fruit and the fruit is visibly showing the bags can be removed, and developing fruit tagged (ie. use flagging tape, string, wool etc to tie around developing fruit's stem) so they can be identified at time of harvest.
Caging - Cover the entire plant once it begins to show any sign of flowering.  When enough fruit has been set to harvest seed from, covers are removed and developing fruit tagged  (ie. use flagging tape, string, wool etc to tie around developing fruit's stem) so they can be identified at time of harvest.
OTHER:  Flowers are perfect and capable of self-pollination but are also able to be insect pollinated which means cross-pollination can occur.  Close observation of the stigma in the flower will determine the level of cross pollination which may occur.  An inserted stigma means that there is little chance of cross-pollination occurring.  An exerted stigma means that there is a much greater chance that the seed will be cross-pollinated by insects (ie. not pure).  It is highly recommended that isolation measures are taken.

 SEED HARVEST and CLEANING            
MATURITY:  Occurs when fruit ripens to their final colour.  Harvest individual fruit as they mature.  Seed may be harvested straight away or left to mature further by allowing to sit at 18-24'C for a few extra days.  Fruit should be monitored to make sure they do not rot during this time.
PROCESSING METHOD:  Wet or dry process
Dry Process (for large or thick walled fruit):  Cut open fruit, scrape seeds from the core.  Seeds may be rinsed if needed to remove any pulp which may be stuck to them.  Strain.  Place on a plate or tray and leave to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight. 
Dry Process (for thin walled fruit such as cayenne & habanero chilli):  After harvest, allow fruit to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight, until flesh is brittle enough to break apart easily.  Once dry, fruit is crushed into a container and rubbed between the hands.  For large quantities of fruit, it may be easier to place into a large sack and treading on the muntil the fruits break open releasing the seed.  Seed is then cleaned by screening and winnowing.  
Wet Process (useful for smaller fruit or large quantities): Place whole fruit with stems removed in a blender or food processor fitted with a dough blade.  Add a large amount of water and process until fruit has broken apart and seeds have separated from the cores.  Be careful not to blend too much - best to use 'pulse' setting to begin with.  Pour liquid mixture into a glass jar and decant several times by adding water, stirring and allowing to sit for 5-10 seconds or until seeds fall to the bottom and pulp rises.  Gently and slowly pour off top liquid leaving seeds in bottom.  Add more water, stir and pour off liquid again.  Repeat until all pulp is removed and only clean seed is left.  Pour remaining seed into a sieve and rinse and rub under a strong stream of water until seeds are free of any remaining pulp.  Place on a plate or tray and leave to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight.
OTHER:  Viable seed can only be obtained from fully ripe and mature fruit.  Do not harvest the fruit too early.  In cooler seasons, be sure to plant at the start of the season to allow fruit to mature on bush before first frosts.

CAUTION:  Chillies contain the active component 'capsaicin' which is the active component responsible for its heat.  It is an irritant and burns eyes, skin and lungs.  Gloves, goggles, masks and even a respirator should be worn for protection when extracting and cleaning chilli seed.


 SEED STORAGE             
EXPECTED SEED LIFE:  2-4 years
SEED STORAGE:  Store in a cool, dry place away from light


*Information taken from experience and adapted from 'The Seed Garden: The Art & Practice of Seed Saving' by Seed Savers Exchange

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 DRY PROCESS (for large or thick walled fruit)             

Dry Process (for large or thick walled fruit): 
This is an easy way to extract the seeds from the fruit.  The seeds separate quite easily, are clean and very little seed is lost.  It is the best method for the popular, thick, bell shaped fruits such as 'California Wonder' and 'Cubanelle', or for large capsicum and chilli.

STEP ONE:  Cut open fruit, scrape seeds from the core. 
Cut fruit in half from top to bottom.  Use fingers to remove seeds by scraping.  Seeds will dislodge easily.

         

STEP TWO:  Final clean and rinse.
Seeds may be placed in a sieve and rinsed if needed to remove any pulp which may be stuck to them.  If flesh is stuck to the seed and is difficult to remove, use fingers and press seeds against screen mesh then drag along mesh.  Flesh will get stuck in the mesh while seed is dragged free with the fingers.  Allow to drain.  (It's actually easier than it sounds!)



STEP THREE:  Place on a plate or tray and leave to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight. 
Be sure to label and date the seed to avoid any confusion later.  Every few days use hands to break seeds up and move around the tray.  Seeds will take a few weeks to dry out completely.  


 

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 WET PROCESS (for smaller fruit or large quantities)             

Dry Process (for smaller fruit or large quantities ): 
You can still choose to remove the seeds by hand, but this method is a lot quicker with the smaller sized fruits or if you are processing a large quantity.  The seeds separate from the fruit easily and are clean.  The only drawback of this method is that a small amount of seed is lost in the process.

STEP ONE: Place into blender
Place whole fruit with stems removed in a blender or food processor fitted with a dough blade.  Add a large amount of water and process until fruit has broken apart and seeds have separated from the cores.  A large ratio of water to fruit is needed so as not to damage seeds during the blending process.  Be careful not to blend too much - best to use 'pulse' setting to maintain control.  

          


STEP TWO:  Pour and decant
Pour liquid mixture into a glass jar and decant several times by adding water, stirring and allowing to sit for 5-10 seconds or until seeds fall to the bottom and pulp rises.  Gently and slowly pour off top liquid leaving seeds in bottom.  Add more water, stir and pour off liquid again.  Repeat until all pulp is removed and only clean seed is left.  (Notice that we changed jars part way through - it is much easier to use a jar with a 'lip' on it).  If you find that the pulp is sinking along with the seed and it is difficult to separate just place in blender again with a large amount of water and blend to reduce the size of the pulp.  This will make it lighter and easier to decant.  

          

          

STEP THREE:  Final clean and rinse.
Seeds may be placed in a sieve and rinsed if needed to remove any pulp which may be stuck to them.  Larger pieces may be removed by picking out.  



STEP FOUR:  Place on a plate or tray and leave to dry in a warm, dry place out of direct sunlight. 
Be sure to label and date the seed to avoid any confusion later.  Every few days use hands to break seeds up and move around the tray.  Seeds will take a few weeks to dry out completely.