IMPACT OF VARIOUS DRYING TECHNIQUES ON THE NUTRITIONAL COMPONENTS OF PLUM TOMATO

Tomatoes are currently considered one of the most important vegetable crops in the world, as they significantly affect the incomes of many growers around the globe. The tomato is ranked second in many countries and is one of the most widely grown vegetables worldwide. Most agricultural products have a moisture content ranging between 25 and 80%, while plum tomato moisture was found to be 93.94% in this research. This value of moisture content is much higher than what is required for long-term preservation. A certain amount of moisture reduction in crops slows down the effects of bacteria, enzymes, and yeast. The purpose of the study is to evaluate dried plum tomatoes using different techniques. Samples were dried using a solar dryer, a heated plate, and sundry. The dried tomato samples were evaluated for total lycopene, ascorbic acid, pH, and titratable acidity using established methods. The results showed that the sun-dried and solar-dried sample had higher pH levels than the control sample. The ascorbic acid and lycopene levels in sun-dried and solar-dried tomatoes were lower than in the control. Significant increases in ascorbic acid and lycopene content were seen when the heated plate-dried sample was compared to the control sample. The findings indicated that using a heated plate drying method was the best way to preserve the quality characteristics of dried tomatoes.