Yes, tomatoes have seeds, and they're edible
Tomatoes contain seeds as part of their natural structure. When you cut open a ripe tomato, you'll see the seeds surrounded by a gel-like substance called the locule. These seeds are safe to eat—they won't harm you, and many people consume them without noticing. The seeds are small, flat, and tan or cream-colored, and they sit in the chambers inside the tomato fruit.
The number of seeds varies by tomato variety. A medium slicing tomato might hold 100 to 200 seeds, while smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes have fewer. Large beefsteak tomatoes can contain 300 or more. If you're cooking with tomatoes and want to remove the seeds, you can scoop them out with a spoon or strain them through a sieve, but there's no health reason to do so.
Key Takeaways
- All tomatoes contain seeds naturally, and the seeds are completely safe to eat.
- Seeds sit in gel-filled chambers inside the tomato and vary in number depending on the variety.
- You can remove seeds if you prefer a smoother sauce or texture, but it's optional.
- Seedless tomato varieties exist but are rare and harder to find in most grocery stores.
- If you save seeds from your garden tomatoes, they will grow into plants the following season.
Why tomatoes produce seeds
Tomatoes develop seeds as part of their reproductive cycle. The flower of a tomato plant produces pollen, which fertilizes the ovary inside. As the fruit grows, the ovary develops into the fleshy tomato you eat, and the seeds form inside. This is true for all tomato varieties that grow from seed—which is most of them.
The gel surrounding the seeds serves a purpose: it protects the seeds and helps them disperse naturally. In the wild, animals eat the fruit and spread the seeds through their droppings. In your kitchen, that gel can make seeds slippery and harder to remove if you want to, but it doesn't affect the flavor or safety of the tomato.
Seedless tomatoes and why they're uncommon
Seedless tomato varieties do exist, but they're uncommon in most grocery stores and farmers markets. These are usually grown in greenhouses and are more expensive than standard tomatoes. Seedless varieties are bred to produce very few seeds or seeds that don't develop fully, which makes them less practical for home gardeners and commercial farms that rely on seed saving.
If you do find seedless tomatoes, they're typically labeled as such. They taste the same as seeded tomatoes and cook the same way. The main difference is convenience if you dislike the texture of seeds in sauces or prefer a cleaner appearance in sliced tomatoes.
Removing seeds from tomatoes
If you want to remove seeds before cooking, the easiest method depends on how you're using the tomato. For sauce, cut the tomato in half and squeeze it gently over a bowl or sink—the seeds and gel will come out. For sliced tomatoes, use a small spoon to scoop out the seed chambers after cutting the tomato in half lengthwise.
Another option is to strain finished sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill. This removes seeds and some of the gel, giving you a smoother texture. This method works well if you're making marinara or tomato soup. Keep in mind that removing seeds also removes some of the tomato's moisture and flavor, so the sauce may be slightly thicker and more concentrated.
Saving seeds from your tomatoes
If you grow tomatoes in a garden, you can save seeds from ripe fruit to plant the following year. Scoop the seeds and gel into a small container, add a little water, and let them ferment for two to three days. This breaks down the gel coating. Rinse the seeds thoroughly, spread them on a paper towel, and let them dry completely in a warm, dry spot for one to two weeks.
Store dried seeds in a cool, dry place—a sealed envelope in the refrigerator works well. They'll stay viable for three to four years. This method works best with heirloom and open-pollinated varieties. Hybrid tomatoes (often labeled F1) won't produce seeds that grow into plants identical to the parent, so seed saving is less useful for those.
Seeds in different tomato types
Cherry and grape tomatoes have fewer seeds than larger slicing tomatoes, straightforward because they're smaller. When you cut a cherry tomato in half, you might see only 20 to 40 seeds. Paste tomatoes, which are bred for sauce and canning, often have fewer seeds and less gel than slicing varieties, making them naturally easier to process into sauce.
Beefsteak and heirloom tomatoes tend to have more seeds and more gel because they're larger and bred for fresh eating rather than processing. This doesn't make them better or worse—it's just a difference in structure. The seed count doesn't affect ripeness, sweetness, or how long the tomato will keep.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are tomato seeds poisonous?
No, tomato seeds are not poisonous. You can eat them raw or cooked without any risk. Some people avoid them for texture reasons or because they prefer a smoother sauce, but there's no safety concern with consuming them.
Do all tomatoes have the same number of seeds?
No, the number of seeds varies widely. Smaller varieties like cherry tomatoes have fewer seeds, while large beefsteak tomatoes have many more. Even two tomatoes of the same variety can have slightly different seed counts depending on growing conditions.
Can I grow a tomato plant from a seed I found in a store-bought tomato?
Yes, if the tomato is an heirloom or open-pollinated variety. Hybrid tomatoes (often labeled F1) won't grow into plants that match the parent. You can try, but the plant may produce tomatoes that look or taste different from the original.
Does removing seeds change the taste of tomato sauce?
Removing seeds doesn't significantly change flavor, but it does change texture. Sauce without seeds is smoother and slightly thicker. Some cooks prefer this; others like the slight bitterness and texture that seeds add. It's a matter of preference.
Why do some tomatoes have more gel around the seeds than others?
Gel content depends on the variety and growing conditions. Slicing tomatoes bred for fresh eating tend to have more gel and more seeds. Paste tomatoes have less gel and fewer seeds because they're bred for cooking and canning, where a drier texture is preferred.