18 



BULLETIN 859, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table IV. — Progressive changes in the composition of Livingston Globe tomatoes during 



the process of ripening. 



[The asterisk (*) indicates that the given result is based upon a single determination; results not thus 

 marked are the mean of two determinations.] 



Constituents. 



Age and color of fruit. 



14 days, 

 green.' 



21 days 

 green. 



2S days, 

 green. 



35 days, 

 green. 



•42 days, 

 green. 



56 days, 

 turning. 



56 days, 

 red. 



Sec. A. — Percentage of entire fruit: 



Moisture 



Total solids 



Sugar-free solids 



Ash, crude 



Acidity (as citric acid) 



Total nitrogen 



Protein (=N X 6.25) 



Total sugar (as invert) 



Cane sugar 



Reducing sugar (as invert) 



Starch 



Pentosans 



Crude fiber 



Ratio (sugar —■ acid) 



Carbohydrates — 



Total 



Soluble 



Insoluble 



Determined constituents 



Sec B. — Percentage of dry matter: 



Sugar-free solids 



Ash, crude 



Acidity (as citric acid) 



Total nitrogen 



Protein (=N X 6.25.) 



Total sugar (as invert) 



Cane sugar 



Reducing sugar (as invert) 



Starch 



Pentosans 



Crude fiber 



Ratio (sugar -r- acid) 



Carbohydrates- 

 Total 



Soluble 



Insoluble 



*93. 250 



*6. 750 



5.006 



* 634 



.320 



.1999 

 1.247 

 1.743 



.018 

 1.724 

 1.068 



.332 

 *503 

 5.450 



3.647 



1.743 



1.903 



99. 100 



74. 120 

 *9.390 



4.740 



2.960 

 18.500 

 25.830 

 .264 

 25.560 

 15.840 



4.920 

 *7. 450 



5.450 



54. 030 

 25.830 

 28.200 



*94. 140 



*5. 860 



3.824 



*.562 



.585 



.150 



.938 



2.006 



.041 



1.962 



.830 



.276 



*464 



3.420 



3.576 



2.006 



1.570 



99. 801 



65. 250 



*9. 590 



9.980 



2.560 



16. 000 



34. 240 



.708 



33. 490 

 14. 220 



4.700 



*7. 920 



3.420 



61. 030 



34. 240 

 26. 790 



*94. 140 

 *5. 860 



3.753 



*533 

 .352 

 .1365 

 .853 



2.106 







2.112 

 .616 

 .247 



*447 



5.980 



3.415 



2.106 



1.309 



99. 294 



64. 050 

 *9. 090 



6.000 



2.330 

 14. 550 

 35. 930 







36. 040 

 10. 500 



4.210 

 *7. 630 



5.980 



58. 270 

 35. 930 

 22. 340 



*94. 540 



*5. 560 



3.416 



*509 



.883 



.1305 



.8156 



2.143 



.018 



2.125 



.544 



.273 



*.4S4 



2.430 



3.443 



2.143 



1.300 



100. 192 



61. 440 

 *9. 150 

 15. 880 



2.340 



14. 660 



38. 550 



.323 



38. 200 



9.770 



4.890 

 *8. 710 



2.430 



61. 920 

 38. 550 

 23. 370 



*94. 240 



*5. 760 



3.385 



*497 



.640 



.140 



.875 



2. 375 



.076 



2.300 



.555 



.264 



*. 433 



3.710 



3.628 

 2.375 

 1.253 



99. 870 



58. 760 

 *8. 620 

 11.110 



2.440 

 15.250 

 42.230 



1.215 

 39. 930 



9.630 



4.580 

 *7.510 



3.710 



63. 970 

 42. 230 

 21. 740 



*94. 450 



*5. 550 



2.994 



*484 



.397 



.1225 



.766 



2.556 



.018 



2.537 



.222 



.228 



*423 



6.430 



*94. 490 



*5. 510 



2.847 



*.504 



.420 



.116 



.725 



2.667 



.024 



2. 637 



.146 



.238 



*394 



6.340 



3.429 



3.441 



2.556 



2.667 



.873 



.774 



99. 526 



99. 5S0 



53. 940 



51. 670 



*8. 720 



*9. 140 



7.150 



7.620 



2.200 



2.100 



13. 780 



13. 130 



46. 030 



48. 320 



.324 



.435 



45. 710 



47. 850 



4.000 



2.650 



4.120 



4.320 



*7. 620 



*7. 150 



6.430 



6.340 



61. 720 



62. 450 



46.030 



48. 320 



15. 690 



14. 130 



From Table IV it may be seen that the tomato contains a com- 

 paratively small amount of solid matter and that a considerable 

 portion of this consists of acids and sugars, especially in the ripe 

 fruit. In fruit 14 days old there are relatively small percentages of 

 acids and sugars, but as the tomato matures these increase per- 

 ceptibly in the case of acids and markedly in the case of sugars. 

 In general, throughout the ripening period there is an increase in 

 moisture, acids, and sugars and a decrease in solids, total nitrogen, 

 starch, pentosans, crude fiber, and ash. Some of these losses are 

 probably not absolute, but attributable to changes in the proportion 

 of the constituents. Tracing the figures for moisture content from 

 the first column, concerning tomatoes 14 days old, across to the last 

 column for ripe fruit, it will be seen that there' is a gradual and 

 progressive increase in total moisture. The only irregularity is that 

 noticed in the fourth column (for 35 days). The moisture content 

 here is greater than it should be if the change followed a regular 

 curve of increasing water, being greater than in fruit when fully ripe. 





