Super veg
Find out more about the food you eat.
To help plant breeders improve the potatoes and tomatoes we eat we need to understand the background to the qualities (e.g. flavour) we are interested in. Below are some of the qualities investigated by EU-SOL and how genes can affect them.
Tomato texture
Texture in tomatoes depends on many structural qualities such as the proportions of flesh to seeds, size of cells, shape of cells, strength of cell wall, and strength of connections between cells.
Texture traits
This project has chosen to investigate a number of important texture traits that have a strong impact on the pleasure of eating a tomato. Here are three examples:
1. Firmness
The firmness of a tomato is one of the most important factors in achieving a tomato with a pleasant texture. Tomatoes may be too firm, or not firm enough. Here are two ways the structure of the tomato affects firmness.
- The size of cells in the skin. The presence of small cells just under the cuticle, in the skin, of the tomato seems to result in a tougher skin and a firmer overall texture.
- The strength of cell walls and connections between cells in the pericarp or fleshy part of the tomato. The stronger these connections and cell walls are the firmer the tomato will feel.
2. Mealiness
This is the powdery or cooked potato like texture that tomatoes can have. It is the fleshy bit of the tomato (the pericarp) that is responsible for this texture. Below are two ways the structure of the layer contributes to mealiness.
- Shape of the cells. Many of the cells in the pericarp aren’t round or square but stretched so that grouped together they look like bundles of sausages stood on end. It seems that the more elongated these cells are, the more mealy (powdery) the pericarp feels
- Strength of the cell wall and connections between cells. If the cell walls are quite strong but the connections between them weak the tomato has a mealy texture. The opposite, where the cell walls are weak but the connections between cells strong, gives a crisp texture like a crunchy apple.
3. Juiciness
This is the amount of liquid released by the tomato when crushed. Below are two ways the make up of the pericarp (fleshy part of the tomato) affects overall juciness
- Water content of the cells. The more water content the cells have the juicier the flesh feels.
- Strength of the cell walls. This is also important, weaker walls break more easily, more readily release their liquid content and so result in a juicier texture.
