Tomatoes are almost indispensable when it comes to any cuisine. No matter in which form they are sauce, solid, puree or in gravy form, tomatoes are indeed delicious and juicy. They add a flavour to food and make the food item more interesting and appealing.

When tomatoes are raw, they are green in colour, however, the moment they start ripening, they change colour and turn red. Have you ever wondered what renders the red colour to these tomatoes? Let us find out...

What renders the red colour to tomatoes?

Tomatoes have the chlorophyll pigment when they are raw and hence they are green in colour. But as they start ripening, the pigment lycopene becomes dominant and the tomatoes turn red.

Lycopene is a carotenoid and belongs to the same family as beta-carotene. It is a powerful antioxidant that neutralizes free radicals, especially those derived from oxygen and confers protection against prostate cancer, breast cancer, atherosclerosis, and other coronary artery disease.

Also, this pigment reduces LDL or low-density lipoprotein oxidation and helps in reducing cholesterol levels in the blood. Also, preliminary research has revealed that lycopene reduces the risk of macular degenerative disease, serum lipid oxidation, and cancers of the lung, bladder, cervix, and skin. The chemical properties of lycopene are also responsible for these protective actions.

Know more about Lycopene

Lycopene is considered as a phytochemical which is synthesized by plants and microorganisms but not by animals. It is an acyclic isomer of beta-carotene. It is highly unsaturated hydrocarbon and contains 11 conjugated and 2 unconjugated double bonds which make it longer than any other carotenoid.

As a polyene, it undergoes cis-trans isomerization when induced by light, thermal energy, and chemical reactions. Lycopene which is obtained from plants tends to exist in an all-trans configuration which is the most thermodynamically stable form. We, humans cannot produce lycopene and hence we must ingest fruits, absorb the lycopene, and process it for use in the body. In human plasma, lycopene is present as an isomeric mixture, with 50 per cent as cis isomers.

Find out about the ripening of tomatoes

It is important to let the tomatoes turn red in order to bring out the lycopene pigment and hence we must first allow it to arrive at the mature stage. The rate at which a tomato turns red in colour depends on the variety and size of tomatoes. Small varieties like a cherry tomato will ripen. Large varieties will take longer.

Tomatoes have to be mature and in the green stage before they turn red. The temperature also plays a part. Too cold or too hot temperature will not let lycopene and carotene to show up.

They do show up only between 50 and 85 degrees.

There is nothing like the taste of a fresh bright red tomato salad with a sprinkle of salt to delight your taste buds on a hot summer day. So make sure your diet contains lot of reds in order to reap the benefit of lycopene to the maximum.