Perlakuan Pendahuluan Buah Tomat (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill) Segar untuk Transportasi Jarak Jauh (Antar Pulau)

Abstract

Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculntum Mill) is a type of fruit vegetables that rich in vitamin C, minerals, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Production areas and areas of marketing (consumers) can be located in a long distance apart (interisland). Under these conditions, transport is needed, so product can be up to the customers in a timely. On the one hand, tomatoes transportation (inter-island) usually take time, but on the other hand tomatoes are a perishable commodity. The dominant causes of damage are properties of tomatoes that are still alive after harvesting. Based on this situation, it needs an appropriate post-harvest handling. Post-harvest handling that done in this study is pre-treatment with CO2 or N2 and low temperature of storage. This study aimed to disscover the influence of pretreatment and temperature of storage on the physical properties of tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculentum Mill) fresh during transportation or storage. Pre-treatment is an introductory treatment on tomatoes that aims to reduce the rate of respiration. One kind of pre-treatment can be done by utilizing CO2 or N2 gas into plastic containers for 24 hours in 10 ° C temperature. This treatment can reduce the respiration rate due to sudden unavailability of O2 for respiration so the commodity will dormant. After bring into conducting preliminary treatment the tomatoes then packed with corrugated board and stored at 10 ° C and 15 ° C for 3 weeks. The parameters used were weight loss, the percentage of damage, the hardness of fruits, and total dissolved solid. Analysis is done twice in week. After accomplish, the tomato fruit displayed during a week at room and 15 ° C temperature. Based on analysing, pre-treatment and temperature of storage can provide a good influence on the physical properties of tomatoes. This can be observed on the weight lose value, the level of damage, hardness, and total dissolved solids tomatoes. Weight loss on pre-treatment with CO2 gas that is equal to 0,10%, 0,25% damage rate, hardness value of 0,116 mm/g/10seconds, and total dissolved solids of 3,92 ° Brix. Storage temperature also affect the physical properties of tomatoes. A temperature of 10 ° C can keep the physical properties of tomato fruit better. And known as the best treatment on tomatoes have pre-treatment with CO2 gas at a temperature of 10 ° C, on this condition of tomato can be stored for 21 days of storage. Menwhile based on the results of analysing, tomato fruit at a temperature of 15 ° C pre-treatment with CO2 gas has a shrinkage value of weight, hardness, total dissolved solids, and the lowest level of damage. Weight loss value of 0.2%, amounting to 0.34% damage rate, hardness value of 0.215 mm/g/10seconds, and total dissolved solids of 4.12 ° Brix. Tomatoes tomatoes at temperatures 15 ° C with pre-treatment of CO2 gas can survive in 18 consecutive days. This indicate that CO2 inhibits respiration during storage or display.