Acidic Constituents of Various Tomato Fruit Types

Tissue portions of five morphological fruit types of tomatoes were evaluated for acid composition, pH, total acidity, alcohol soluble acidity, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. These data were compared with the same attributes obtained from fresh tomato juice of the whole fruit. The pH values of the pericarp tissue were the highest. Total acidity, alcohol soluble acidity and the levels of citric and total acids were highest in the locular tissue. The tissue portions of the plum‐type tomato were more acidic than pear, full‐cavity pear, round and blocky‐pear fruit types. Potassium was an important factor related to acidity in the locular tissue and the entire fruit; whereas phosphorus was related to buffering activity in the pericarp tissue and the entire fruit.