Tomato processing:

Tomato is grown in different parts of the country and they are considered a good source of vitamin C. Fresh tomatoes are very refreshing and appetizing but cannot be stored for longer periods. Often, they are sold at distressed prices during the peak harvest season and huge losses due to poor handling. Such losses can be avoided by converting tomatoes into delicious products. In this blog, we will see all the products made from tomato and their recipes.
The quality of tomato is judged by its color which is dependent on the redness of the tomatoes. The red pigment (Lycopene) can be used as an index of the amount of tomato present in the product.

Tomato processed products

Tomato juice Plant-ripened, fully red tomatoes are selected a good quality juice should be deep red, process the characteristic taste and flavor of tomato, contain about 0.4 % acid (in terms of citric acid, be uniform in appearance and have high nutritive value. In addition, the ingredients for tomato juice are it should contain 0.5% salt, 1 % sugar, and 0.4% acids.

In the home, it is prepared by using 1 liter of juice, 10g of sugar, 5 g of salt, 1 g of citric acid, and 1 g of sodium benzoate. extracted Tomato juice/pulp by hot or cold pulping. Hot pulping is superior to cold pulping because in the latter case, extraction of juice is lighter in color and there are chances of microbial spoilage on a commercial scale.

 

Tomato Processing flow sheet for tomato juice

Tomato fully ripe
Washing
Sorting and trimming
Cutting/chopping (4-6 pieces)
Heating at 70-90 degrees for 3-5 minutes
Extraction of juice and pulp
Homogenization (to a uniformly thick consistency)
Heating at 80-88 degrees for a minute and filling bottles or cans

Tomato Puree and Paste

Tomato pulp without skin or seeds with or without added salt and containing not less than 9.0 % of salt-free tomato solids. Is known as medium tomato puree. It can be concentrated further to heavy tomato puree which contains not less than 12 % solids. If this is further concentrated so that it contains not less than 25 % tomato solids, it is known as tomato paste. On further concentration to 33 % or more solids, it is known to be concentrated tomato paste.

Tomato pulp is prepared from ripe tomato in the same manner as tomato juice. concentration of the pulp in an open cooker or a vacuum pan. Cooking concentration in a vacuum pan helps to preserve the nutrients and also reduces the browning to a great extent. in vacuum pans, the juice is boiled at 71 degrees Celsius only ordinarily tomato juice can be concentrated to 14-14 percent solids in an open pan cooker, but for obtaining higher concentrations a vacuum pan is essential. While cooking in the open pan it is suggested to add butter edible oil to prevent foaming, burning, and sticking.

Tomato Processing Flow-Sheet for Tomato Puree/Paste

Tomato juice (strained)
Cooking to desired consistency
Judging endpoint for puree or paste (by refractometer or measuring stick)
Filling in bottles/cans 80-88 degree
Sterilization in boiling water for 20 minutes

Tomato sauce and Ketchup It is made from strained tomato juice or pulp and spices, salt, sugar, and vinegar with or without onion and garlic, and contains less than 12 % tomato solids and 25 % total solids.

General Considerations Tomato Processing

About one-third of the sugar required is added at the time of commencement of boiling to intensify and fix the red tomato color. If the whole quantity of sugar is added initially, the cooking time will be longer and the quality of pulp will be adversely affected. Generally, the sugar content in ketchup/sauces varies from 10-26 percent.

On the other hand, salt bleaches, the color of tomato product; it is therefore desirable to add it towards the end of the cooking process. Spices are added in powdered form by spice bag methods. essential oils of spices oleoresins, and spice extract can be used. Essential oils, however, do not give the characteristic true aroma of whole spice but oleoresins provide true aroma.
The salt content of the product be 1.3-3.4 %. Good-quality vinegar is essential for high-quality Sauce/Ketchup.

It should contain 5.0-5.5 percent acetic acid should be added when a product has thickened sufficiently so that the acid is not lost by volatilization. Tomato sauce/ ketchup generally contains 1.25-1.5 percent acetic acid. Sometimes glacial acetic acid (100 % acetic acid) is used which is colorless and cheaper than vinegar.  To increase the viscosity and prevent the separation of pulp from clear juice, pectin can be added to the extent of 0.1-0.2 percent by weight of the finished product. If it is made of good quality tomatoes using sugar, salt, vinegar, and spices in the correct proportion, it does not spoil for quality. It is advisable to add 0.025 % sodium benzoate to the product.

Tomato Processing Ketchup and Sauce recipe

Tomato Pulp 1 kg, Sugar 75 g, salt 10 g, onion chopped 50 g, ginger chopped 10 g, garlic chopped 5 g, red chili powder 5 g, cinnamon, cardamon black, aniseed, cumin, black pepper powdered 10 g, each, clove headless 5 numbers, vinegar 25 ml or glacial acetic acid 5 ml and sodium benzoate 0.25 g per kg final product.

Procedure for Tomato Sauce/Ketchup

Tomato ripe
Washing
Sorting/Trimming
Cutting and Chopping
Heating at 70-90 degrees for 3-5 minutes
Pulping or extraction of juice/pulp
Straining Pulp
Cooking pulp with One-Third quantity of sugar
Put spice bag in pulp
Cooking to one-third of pulp/Juice
Remove spice bag
Addition of remaining salt and sugar
Cooking
Addition of vinegar/acetic acid and preservative
Filling hot into bottles 88 degrees Celsius

Tomato Cocktail Recipe

Tomato juice 5 liters, Salt 45 g, lime juice 60 ml, red chili powder 0.25 g clove (headless) 5 numbers, cumin, black pepper, coriander seed, cardamom, cinnamon (powdered) 1.5 g, each and vinegar (10% acetic acid) 300 ml.

Tomato Processing Flow-Sheet for Tomato Cocktail

Tomato Juice
Adding spice to juice cook gently for 20 minutes
Add strained lime juice, vinegar, and salt (if desired little sugar may be added)
Heating at 82-88 degree Celsius
Bottling
Sterilization (100 degrees) for 30 minutes

Tomato Soup Recipe

Tomato pulp 1 kg, salt 20 g, sugar 20 g, butter or cream 20 g, floor/starch 10 g, onion chopped 20 g, garlic 5 g, clove 5 numbers, cumin, cardamom black, black pepper, cinnamon 1 g each and 350 ml.

Tomato Processing Flow sheet for tomato soup

Tomato pulp/juice
Boiling to concentrate
Putting spice bag in a cooking pan (as in sauces)
Preparing paste of butter and flour/starch
In addition to concentrated juice
Cooking to desired (Prevent coagulation of starch)
Add sugar and salt and cook for 2 minutes
Remove spice bag
Filling into cans
Sterilization at 115 degrees Celsius for 40-45

Tomato chili sauce

It is a highly spiced product made from ripe, peeled, and crushed tomato and salt, sugar, spices, vinegar, with onion and garlic. The method of preparation is similar to that for tomato sauce except that total unstrained pulp is used and seeds are not removed. Hot product is filled in bottles or cans and processed in water at 85-90 degrees for 30 minutes.

Tomato Processing  Flow sheet for tomato Tomato chili sauce

Tomato
Washing
Sorting
Blanching for 2 minutes
Add quickly cold water (to crack Skin)
Peeling
Crushing
Cooking Pulp with a one-third quantity of sugar.