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PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF DEHYDRATED TOMATOES

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Tomato is one of the main agricultural crops of the world, being consumed in natura, industrialized or in the form of sauces, pickles and concentrates. Its average shelf life is one to two weeks, greatly reduced due to its content of moisture and build. Dehydration can be an alternative to increasing the shelf life and adding value to the product. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the physico-chemical characteristics of ash content (%), moisture (%), pH, acidity (%) and soluble solids (°Brix) of dehydrated tomatoes at 60°C and 90°C in drying oven with air circulation. The fruits were purchased commercially in Capão Bonito-SP and analyzed in the laboratory of Biotechnology and Biochemistry of Fatec Capão Bonito according to the methodologies 012/IV, 016/IV and 018/IV of the Adolf Lutz Institute. The fruits were cut in four pieces and dehydrated at 60°C and at 90°C up to 10% of the moisture content, after which the physical chemical analyzes were carried out. In the pH analysis the results presented 4.83 for 60°C, 4.74 for 90°C and 5 for the tomato in natura, these values were close to 4.5 which is the desirable pH for longer shelf life of the tomato. In the ash analysis the samples presented the results of 4.85% at 60°C, 1.7% at 90°C and 0.16% in natura. In the analysis of acidity the results presented were 8.42% in natura, 6.22% at 90°C and 1.04% in natura. Total soluble solids had 73 °Brix at 60°C, 72 °Brix at 90°C and 70°Brix for fresh tomatoes. It is concluded that dehydration is a relevant factor for the conservation of tomatoes, since the physicochemical characteristics were altered in order to provide shelf life and consequently their sensorial characteristics that vary with the physicochemical characteristics.