Hi Don,
Most seeds can be saved for quite some time with no special treatment as long as they are cool, dry, and dark. An example would be tomato seeds will keep very high germination rates for at least 5 years kept cool, dark and dry. I would think in Alaska that would be easy.
In case you or anyone is wondering just because seeds are stamped with sell by dates of the year they are sold for does not mean they will not be good the following year or a few years later. The date is a safeguard for the seller and the buyer.
You as the buyer knows that the seed were tested for germination(rates vary depending on the type of seed) being by looking, in general, you can't tell old seed from new seed. So you will be able to grow plants from the seed you buy if properly planted and followed any special needs a seed may have.
The seller is protected in knowing that you can't complain a year from now if you wait to grow the seed. A seller can't tell if you are going to keep that packet in your car or some other inappropriate place to store seeds which would make them loose their viability much quicker than would occur with good storage.
All that being said, you can store seeds in jars in your freezer for very long term storage. Purchased seed would be dry enough to put in immediately, home collected seed would take some time especially big seeds like beans. If you freeze seeds, you must remember to let the container come completely to room temperature before opening or you will kill the seed.
Hope that helps,
Remy

Thanks, Remy. I have done a good bit of seed saving, but I never tried it for long term--just year to year. I came up with a drying system years ago when I salvaged an old desiccant jar from a lab. I had a friend that used silica gel to dry flowers, so I thought I would try it with seeds. I just heat the silica gel once a year (before I put seeds in at the end of the season)in the microwave to drive off moisture, then put seeds in open envelopes in the jar. I have never tried it with beans, but squash seeds dry well this way. Can you freeze all seeds as long as they are sufficiently dry?

Thanks again.

Hi Don,
Yes, you can freeze all seeds as long as sufficiently dry. Well, except seeds that are tropical types that must stay moist like citrus, but there are very few of those kinds.
Remy