Name: Anne Summerville, SC (Zone 8a) Only dead fish go with the flow!
I'd love to see which ones you have - there are about 4 cultivars .. I've found the H. sabdariffa has a pretty long shelf life. I get my best results by taking a pair of cuticle scissors (they are very sharp and bowed) and cutting a thin strip of seed coat off the rounded part of the seeds - soaking not needed.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
Douglas Adams