They need to dry and the fridge bit helps also.
Think of what happens in nature. The plant finishes and dies. The seeds drop to the ground. If they germinated right then, the first frost would kill them. They lay there over the winter and the cold keeps them dormant. With warm weather in the spring and April showers THEN they germinate and start the next cycle.
This is why really fresh seeds won't germ well.
Myself, I dry in a paper bag in a cool dark place for a month to 6 weeks. Then I put in something airtight like a film can, along with some uncooked rice and put in the fridge for a month or so (winter), until needed. NOT the freezer. If they aren't totally dry, moisture inside the seed can freeze, causing them to crack and be useless.
You can keep seeds literally for years in the fridge.
Wet