Sample preparation and characterization Ripe tomato fruits were immersed in boiling water for 1–2 min and, after being rapidly cooled, were hand-peeled.. The peels were partially dried in air for a few hours and stored at 4 °C. Just before use an appropriate amount of frozen tomato waste was thawed. The skins were hand-separated from the seeds and other impurities. Each peel sample was characterized for moisture and total lycopene content. Moisture was determined by oven drying at 105 °C to constant weight. Total lycopene content was evaluated according to the procedure of Fish et al. (2002).