Consumption of dried tomatoes has been increasing, mainly as an ingredient of pizzas and lasagnas, and also as an appetizer. This study evaluated the production process of four commercial varieties (Italiano, Débora Plus, Santa Cruz, Delícia) and the quality of the finished products, which had a moisture content of around 60%. The tomatoes were sliced into four longitudinal cuts in the stalk-apex direction and the seed masses were removed. The drier was set at 100ºC for the first three hours, followed by 80ºC until the drying was complete. Delícia had the greatest moisture loss (39.8%) during the preparation of the fresh slices, while the losses of the other cultivars varied between 32.7% and 34.3%. The yields of whole tomatoes in terms of finished product were: Débora Plus 9.1%; Santa Cruz 8.9%; Delícia 8.6%; and Italiano 8.3%. The longest drying period of 9 hours and 25 minutes was noted for Delícia; the drying times of the other varieties ranged from 8 hours and 10 minutes (Italiano) to 8 hours and 35 minutes (Santa Cruz). The dried tomatoes of Italiano and Débora Plus had a lightly sweet flavor; Santa Cruz had a less sweet flavor, and this characteristic was difficult note in Delícia. The dried samples of the latter cultivar were also not as soft and took longer to chew. Although there were differences between these products, they did not differ significantly to the palate when tested by untrained tasters (180 total).
dried tomato; drying; agroindustry; functional food
