Black tomatoes have a unique color and higher lycopene content than typical red tomatoes.
Here, black tomatoes were investigated how maturation stage and storage temperature
affected carotenoid and chlorophyll accumulation. Immature fruits were firmer than mature fruits,
but failed to develop their distinctive color and contained less lycopene when stored at 8 C. Hunter
a* values of black tomatoes increased with storage temperature and duration; storage of immature
fruits at high temperature favored lycopene accumulation. Chlorophyll levels of black tomatoes
declined during storage, but differences between mature and immature tomatoes stored at 12 C
were minimal. b-Carotene levels of black tomatoes increased during early storage, but rapidly
declined beginning 13 d post-harvest. The highest lycopene and chlorophyll levels were observed
in mature black tomatoes stored at 12 C for 13 d; these conditions also yielded the best quality
fruit. Thus, the unique pigmentation properties of black tomatoes can be precisely controlled by
standardizing storage conditions.