Can you name these squash varieties? Answer at the bottom of the post.
A sweet, young mother of two asked me:
Can I Save Seeds from Grocery Store Fruits and Vegetables?
We can always find some good in everything. CoVid has certainly brought a lot of suffering and hardship, but it is good to hear from so many who have a new or a renewed interest in gardening, preserving a harvest, and becoming more independent in providing for one's needs. Proverbs 21:20 tells us that the wise store up the good things they need, but the fool uses it up right away.
The answer is: yes, you can. Somethings will do better than others. Heirloom varieties are best choices. Research the difference between heirloom and hybrid to understand why.
I rinse them off, pick any bits of pulp out, and dry them on a plate for a week. Then, I dry them a little more in my dehydrator making sure they stay lower than 95F. Any higher will kill the seed. Then, I store them in mylar zipper top bags.
I always save seeds from winter squashes, melons, tomatoes, peppers, and more.
You can even get mushroom spores to grow.
You can regrow the ends of celery and lettuces.
Many grains and legumes will also grow and produce food.
You can regrow the tops of carrots and parsnips too. They will not grow a new root you can eat, but you can get them to produce seeds.
Seeds used for culinary herbs and spices will also grow.
Some fresh herbs are easily rooted to start new plants.
Tubers like potatoes, sunchokes, horseradish, sweet potatoes, turmeric, jicama, and ginger will also grow. (Whenever my potatoes sprout, I cut them up, let them scab over, and plant them.)
Fruits like apples and pears can grow trees, but the fruit may not be consistent in quality...meaning the fruit may be completely different than the fruit you took the seed from.
You can harvest blueberry and strawberry seeds too.
Look for organic and grown in the USA when you can. Some vegetables, especially potatoes are sprayed with growth inhibitors. I have rinsed off (rubbing the skin with my hands gently under water-avoid knocking off the "eyes") nonorganic potatoes, and they have sprouted for me. Also, some fruits and vegetables that are imported are irradiated and that will affect growth. Some things may take multiple tries, but experimentation is part of the fun in gardening!
I am sure there are more ways you can take advantage of the grocery store offerings to increase your garden, but this is what I could think of off the top of my head.
Happy Gardening and Mothering!
Answer: green-acorn squash, yellow-spaghetti squash, tan-butternut squash
