Terms for harvesting tomatoes
In what terms to clean tomatoes
Tomato is one of the most common vegetable crops grown in greenhouses and in the open ground. The biochemical composition of tomatoes varies significantly depending on growing conditions. It is closely related to quality and changes during the growing season, depending on the degree of fruit maturity and during storage.
Tomatoes taken from the bush in an immature state can ripen during storage, while acquiring a characteristic taste and coloring.
This is explained by the fact that organic substances are pre-accumulated in tomato fruits, and then, after the accumulation stops, their chemical change occurs, which leads to fruit ripening.
Given the peculiarity of the fruit to mature in the process of storage, they can be cleaned at varying degrees of maturation: milky, brown, pink.
In practice, it became an axiom to harvest fruits in the early phases of ripeness. This is explained by the fact that early harvested fruits leave living space, water and nutrients for the growing "brothers".
However, this is not quite true. Accumulation of organic substances in tomato fruits stops in the phase of milk ripeness, then biochemical transformations take place there, which do not affect the growth of other developing fruits.
From an agronomical point of view, the best time to harvest tomato fruit comes at a time when 85-90% of fruits have a red or almost red color.
Lithuanian scientists have conducted experiments to determine the optimal time for harvesting tomato fruits, taking into account changes in their biochemical composition. The results of the studies conducted on the tomato of F1 Raissa are presented in the table.
The analysis of the biochemical composition showed that tomato fruits of different degree of maturity differ insignificantly in the content of sugars, the amount of soluble solids and the titrated acidity (see table).
See also: Review of the best tomato varieties - professional reviews
Table. Biochemical composition of tomato fruits of different degree of maturity
Option |
The total sugar, % |
Dry soluble substances,% |
Vitamin from, mg / 100g |
Acidity, % |
Carotenoids, mg / 100 g |
Dry matter,% |
Green |
3,3 |
4,8 |
14,5 |
0,5 |
0,8 |
5,4 |
Pink |
3,0 |
5,0 |
15,8 |
0,5 |
2.1 |
5,3 |
Red |
3,0 |
4,9 |
15,2 |
0,5 |
3,5 |
5,4 |
Very red |
3,6 |
5,1 |
16,4 |
0,4 |
5,6 |
5,1 |
However, the content of ascorbic acid and carotenoids was higher in very red fruits, ie, fully ripened. In them, the content of carotene was three times higher than in brown fruits.
In conclusion, it should be noted that from the point of view of the biological fullness of nutrition, one should eat fully ripe tomato fruits.
© Author: Nikolai Petrovich BORISENOK, agronomist, Brest
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