Place the berries in a blender and blend the fruit on low speed for 10 to 20 seconds. Set the blender aside and allow the mixture to settle. Skim off the top layer of floating seeds. You can discard these, because they are likely broken or not viable. Pour the pulp through a fine-mesh strainer with a bowl underneath to catch the pulp. You can eat this, use it for baking, or make jam. Move to a sink and run water through the strainer to help wash away excess pulp. When you’re done, the strainer should have a bunch of unbroken seeds left in the bottom. Spread these out on a piece of paper towel and allow them to air dry. Remove any large bits of pulp that are still mixed in with the seeds.
The next day, remove the strawberries from the freezer. With a razor, utility knife, or sharp kitchen knife, gently scrape the sides of the strawberry and pick out the individual seeds. Don’t cut too deeply into the berry. Be very careful not to cut yourself. Place the harvested seeds on a sheet of clean paper towel and leave them to dry. Use the strawberries for eating or cooking.
Place the strawberries on a flat cutting board. With a sharp knife, carefully peel off vertical strips (from the stem to the tip) from the outer layer of the strawberries. Cut just deep enough to get the seeds and a little flesh. Lay the strips seeds-up on a piece of clean paper towel. Gently press the strips down into the paper towel. Place the paper towel and the strips somewhere warm and dry, but out of direct sunlight. Leave them to fully dry out over the next few days. When the strips are completely dry, lay the paper towel down on a flat surface. Gently rub your finger over every strip of dried strawberry flesh. As you run your finger over the strawberry, the seeds will come loose.
If you buy seeds, you’ll have to germinate them and transplant the seedlings once they sprout. When you buy strawberry seeds or established seedlings, you’re more likely to get a recognized strawberry variety. On the other hand, if you harvest seeds from a store-bought strawberry, the resulting plant may not yield the same type of fruit as the parent, especially if the original strawberry was a hybrid. [4] X Research source
Place the dry seeds in an airtight sealable bag or container. Leave them in the freezer for three to four weeks. [5] X Research source Strawberry seeds should be started inside in winter or early spring, about 10 weeks before the last frost. Make sure you give yourself time to freeze the seeds before this date.
It’s important to keep the seeds out of the air as they warm, because you want them to stay dry as they warm up, otherwise they could be damaged by the cold moisture. [6] X Research source
Add enough water to make the soil damp, and sprinkle the strawberry seeds over the soil. Cover the top of the seeds with a thin layer of soil or peat moss so the seeds will still get sun. Cover the seed tray with a layer of plastic wrap.
Strawberry seed germination can take as little as one week or as many as six, so be patient with them. Completely remove the plastic wrap once the seeds start to germinate. The seedlings are ready to be transplanted once they’ve grown three or four leaves each.
To make a simple raised garden bed, lay down a piece of plastic on the site where you want the bed to be. Use pieces of wood, logs, cinder blocks, bricks, or any other material to build up a square or rectangular barrier around the edge of the plastic that will keep the soil in place. Make sure the barrier is at least 10 inches high. Fill the center with soil that’s at least 8 inches (20. 3 cm) deep.
Use about one-third compost or manure and two-thirds loam.
Fill the hole around the roots with soil and pack it down to remove air pockets.
Water strawberry plants in the early morning, and add the water directly to the soil. Do not get the fruit or leaves wet. To help keep the soil moist, add a layer of clean straw to the surface of the soil. You may have to wait until next year for the plants to bear fruit. It’s recommended that you remove all the flowers during the first year of growth in order to allow the plant to mature before growing berries. This may be difficult, but it will give you a much better harvest the second year. Alternatively, start your plants in the fall and harvest the following spring.
