Effects of harvest time on the quality attributes of processed and non-processed tomato varieties

This study examines physicochemical changes in newly developed and existing tomato varieties at different levels of maturity. Serum viscosity is an important factor in the selection of tomato varieties for processing. Most of the attributes indicative of quality for fresh and paste tomatoes occurred at a less mature stage and declined with maturity. The canned varieties 'H9888,' 'H8892' and 'H9780' had a greater ascorbic acid content and antioxidant capacity. The highest lycopene contents were found in the varieties 'H9888,' 'CXD254,' 'CXD222' and 'H9780'. Total soluble solids levels increased with maturity. The highest acidity values occurred in canned 'Shasta', 'CXD254' and 'H9780' varieties. Mid-and late-season varieties harvested at an early stage produced thicker pastes with greater serum viscosity and acidity than tomatoes harvested at other points in the ripening process. The best results were obtained from canned samples of 'H9888,' 'CXD254' and 'H9780.'Campbell Research and Development Laboratory, Davis, CA, US