PEOCESS OF RIPENING IN THE TOMATO. 



25 



were wrapped with one and three papers and set aside at room tem- 

 perature until they also attained a red color. These were sampled 1 1 

 days later. Summaries of the analyses are given in Table VII. 



Table VII. — Composition of commercially picked green Livingston Globe tomatoes 

 allowed to ripen under different conditions as compared with artificially ripened turnings 

 and vine-ripened red fruits. 



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

 marked are the mean of two determinations.] 



Constituents. 



Sec. A. — Percentage of entire fruit: 



Moisture 



Total solids 



Sugar-free solids 



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 



Sec. B. — Percentage of dry matter: 



Sugar-free solids 



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 -s- acid) 



Carbohydrates — 



Total 



Soluble 



Insoluble 



Commercially picked; ripening- 



No ven- 

 tilation. 



*93. 930 



*6. 070 



3.745 



1.104 



* 134 



* 838 

 2.325 



.048 



2. 275 



.079 



.255 



*/482 



2.11.0 



3.140 



2.325 



.815 



61.700 



18. 180 



*2. 210 



*13.810 



38.290 



.791 



37. 450 



1.301 



4.190 



*7. 940 



2.110 



51. 730 

 38.290 

 13. 440 



One pa- 

 per wrap- 

 ping. 



*94. 500 



*5. 500 



3.037 



.850 



' .131 



.818 



2.462 



.012 



2.450 



.084 



.224 



* 482 



3.010 



3.253 



2.463 

 .790 



55. 050 

 15. 450 



2.380 



14. 670 



45. 950 



.218 



44. 540 



1.620 



4.080 

 *8. 760 



3.010 



60. 400 

 45. 950 

 14. 450 



Three pa- 

 per wrap- 

 pings. 



*94. 430 

 *5. 570 



3.039 

 .673 

 .1265 

 .791 



2.531 

 .077 



2.450 

 .139 

 .238 



* 473 



3.760 



3.381 



2.531 



.850 



54. 550 

 12. 080 



2.270 

 14. 190 

 45. 440 



1.382 

 43. 980 



2.500 



4.270 

 *8.490 



3. 760 



60. 700 

 45. 440 

 15. 260 



At room 

 tempera- 

 ture. 



*94. 310 

 *5. 690 



3.059 

 .475 

 .1335 

 .834 



2.631 

 .012 



2.628 

 .095 

 .214 



*462 



5.540 



3.403 

 2.631 



.772 



53. 770 

 8.340 

 2.340 



14. 630 



46.230 

 .210 



46. 010 

 1.680 

 3.770 



*8. 120 

 5.540 



59.800 

 46.230 

 13. 670 



Turning 



fruit; 

 ripened 

 at room 

 tempera- 

 ture. 



*94. 540 

 *5. 460 



2.916 

 .375 

 . 1265 

 .791 



2.543 

 .024 



2.518 

 .101 

 .251 



*438 



6.780 



3.334 



2.543 



.791 



53. 410 

 6.860 

 2.320 



14.500 



46.580 

 .430 



46. 120 

 1.850 

 4.600 



*8. 020 

 6.780 



61.050 

 46. 580 

 14. 470 



Vine- 

 ripened 



fruit; 

 red ripe. 



*94. 490 

 *5. 510 



2.847 

 .420 

 .116 

 .725 



2.667 

 .024 



2.637 

 .146 

 .238 



*.394 



6.340 



3.441 



2.667 



.774 



51.670 

 7.620 

 2.100 



13. 130 



48. 130 

 .435 



47.850 

 2.650 

 4.320 



*7. 150 

 6.340 



62. 450 

 48.320 

 14. 130 



There are striking differences in • the analyses between the acid 

 and carbohydrate content of tomatoes commercially picked and 

 ripened without ventilation and the same fruit ripened when exposed 

 to the air. Without ventilation the acids are very high and the 

 soluble carbohydrates (sugars) are low. These facts indicate incom- 

 plete oxidation of carbohydrates to carbon dixoid (C0 2 ) with the 

 consequent accumulation of acid. The connection of these changes 

 in composition with the flavor is very obvious. The nonventilated 

 fruit was markedly inferior. Although the reaction was decidedly 

 acid, the general flavor was insipid. While the same effect was not 

 produced to as great an extent in fruit ripened when wrapped with 

 paper, it nevertheless takes place. Fruit wrapped with one paper 

 had a noticeably inferior flavor; it was not as poor as the sample 

 ripened without ventilation, but it was worse than that of green 



