Fruit leather thickness, and drying temperature on the quality oftomato fruit leather

To ensure the sustainability of tomato consumption in Turkey and increase its economic value, processing and preserving tomatoes is of great importance. This not only boosts the profits of producers but also provides consumers with fresh and high-quality tomato products year-round. Therefore, modern agricultural techniques and processing technologies must be employed to enhance productivity and reduce losses in tomato production. This study focuses on the production of tomato leather as a value-added product, investigating the effects of different starch contents, leather thickness, and drying temperatures on the quality of tomato leather. Detailed analyses were conducted on the starch content in the tomato leather production process (5%, 10%, 15%), the slices of different thicknesses during drying (1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm), and various temperature levels determined for the drying process in the cabinet (50 °C, 60 °C, 70 °C). The tomato leather samples were examined for organoleptic properties, color analysis and chemical composition. The results of this study show that as the thickness of the tomato leather increases, the moisture content decreases more slowly. This indicates that the drying time extends as the leather thickness increases. Similarly, as the drying temperature increases, the moisture content decreases more rapidly, and a reduction in drying time is observed. In color analyses, the L value (darkness) decreases more quickly as the drying temperature rises. Additionally, the increase in drying temperature causes the water activity value to decrease more rapidly. The highest lycopene content was found in the mash prepared for making tomato leather. However, the lycopene content decreased as the drying temperature increased.