The paper evaluates the most common sensory, physical, physicochemical and biochemical methods of determining the degree of ripeness of tomato fruits. On the example of small-fruit varieties with red, orange, yellow and brown colors of ripe fruits, an attempt was made to create a universal scale to assess the degree of ripeness of tomato fruits based on the physiological state of the fruits. The paper presents data on the quantitative content of endogenous ethylene in fruits with certain ripeness level.

Small-fruited varieties of tomatoes have high taste and are significantly superior to large-fruited ones. The variety for the production of canned whole-fruit tomatoes primarily influences the shape and size of the fruit, shape index, ratio of the fruit parts, peel, pulp and seeds, peel condition, as well as the content of solids, carotenoids and their composition, which significantly affects the quality and color of the finished product. In this regard, the consumer and technological properties of 7 varieties of small-fruited tomatoes were studied. Based on the results obtained, a well-grounded conclusion was made that new varieties of small-fruited tomatoes are not inferior in terms of the studied indicators to large-fruited ones and can be recommended for expanding the range of a similar type of domestic canned production.