What Is Tomato Pulping?
What is tomato pulping?
Tomato pulping refers to processing ripe tomatoes, crushing them and extracting their juice and pulp to make tomato pulp. Tomato pulping is a common preliminary processing method widely used in the food industry, especially in the production of tomato products such as ketchup, tomato juice, and tomato sauce. By pulping, the natural nutrients of tomatoes, such as vitamin C, lycopene, cellulose, etc., can be retained, thus making high-quality tomato products.
Tomato Pulping Process:
1. Raw material selection and preparation:
The first step in tomato pulping is to select fresh, ripe tomatoes. High-quality tomatoes should be bright red, free of damage and rot, which can ensure the quality of the final tomato pulp. After picking, tomatoes usually need to be washed to remove surface dirt, dust and impurities.
2. Peeling and deseeding:
To ensure a smooth texture, the skin and seeds of tomatoes are usually removed. Common methods of peeling include blanching (bridging the tomatoes in hot water and then cooling them quickly to facilitate peeling) or mechanical peeling equipment. Deseeding is done by screening equipment during the pulping process to separate the seeds and other unwanted fibers.
3. Pulping:
This is the core step of the whole process. The peeled and seeded tomatoes are sent to the tomato pulping machine, and the tomato pulp and juice are fully crushed through stirring and high-speed rotating blades. The pulper is equipped with a filtering device that can separate excess skin and seeds, making the final tomato pulp more delicate and uniform.
4. Filtering and refining:
The tomato pulp after beating may still contain some coarse fibers or tiny solid particles, so it needs to be finely filtered again. This step ensures that the texture of the tomato pulp is smooth and suitable for subsequent processing or direct consumption.
Tomato pulping is an important step in tomato processing in the food industry, which ensures the high quality and nutritional value of tomato products.