It's a good idea to limit the amount of duff as you collect seed heads and pods; snip away leaves,
cut off excess branches, etc. before you put flower stalks or pods into a paper bag to dry. In many instances, you can simply
shake the seeds loose inside the bag when they've dried sufficiently, then remove the stalks or emptied pods. With more stubborn
pods or those which are more easily opened and emptied while still leathery, use your fingers or scissors to roll, crush,
or pry the pods open to release the seeds. Once the seeds have been separated from the stalks or pods, they can be cleaned
in a shallow bowl; one with a light-colored, slippery surface makes seeing and moving the seeds around easier. Use tweezers,
a knife or straight edge, your breath, and/or a wire sifter to separate seeds from duff. Commercially-made sifters of increasingly
small sizes of mesh are available for this purpose, but probably unnecessary for cleaning small amounts of seed. With larger
seeds, you can simply try tossing the seeds and duff up from the bowl, and allow the seeds to drop back while gently blowing
the duff away with your breath.
After the seeds are cleaned of all debris, you may notice that some of them are still a little green.
If so, it is a good idea to let them ripen and dry for a few more days before packaging them.
