The Acidity of Tomatoes?

[TomatoNut95]

I would really like to know if it's fact or myth that yellow and white tomatoes have less acid than red ones. From what I understand, red tomatoes have more acid and are best for canning.
I read a paragraph in one of my gardening books which stated that yellow tomatoes aren't truly less acidic, but the sweetness of the fruit masked the acid making you think they're less acidic.
How do people read the acidity of tomatoes anyway? What about pink, black or multicolored fruits? Where do they stand in the acidic department?

[PaulF]

This question arises often. All tomatoes have nearly the same pH which is the acid/base scale. And you are correct that the flavor/taste is determined by sugar content (brix). This is one article on the subject but there are many more out there including several by state extension services. https://techiescientist.com/ph-of-tomato

I enjoy the sweeter tomatoes, others like the tangy bite. One study by the Utah State Extension compared hybrids to Heirlooms and concluded heirlooms are sweeter. I'll bet they didn't test very many in the sample because both types have a wide range of flavors.

[applestar]

I think for canning purposes, it’s best to assume you need to add the citric acid for safety.

If the question is about fresh eating qualities, subjectively, I just give a qualitative review based on lingering “acid” flavor and mouthfeel. I do prefer tomatoes with full range of flavors starting with good sweet front-end, a rising burst of middle flavors, and lingering tang and some sharpness but without the spit-out acid note.

[TomatoNut95]

So is that why you never see canned yellow or white tomatoes because they're lower in acid?

In my taste buds opinion, I don't care for sweet tomatoes like yellows and whites. That white cherry I grew that time was downright yucky.

I wonder what tomato has the highest acid, and which one has the lowest...

[applestar]

I think it’s more about marketing and consumer preference: TOMATOES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE RED. ... and so on ... It would be hard to sell yellow or white sauces even if it wasn’t so difficult to maintain good color after processing — it’s easy for them to turn mustard ~ yellow ochre color or beige ~ tan in storage. I do like making freshly made sauce out of them for fun-factor as well as flavor, and I freeze them whole in separate freezer bags by color so I CAN make color-based concoctions.

Yellow varieties tend to be very typically what is euphemistically called “mild” and tend to have weak flavors in my opinion— not even always good level of sweet. Same for white. Some people do like many of these — flavor choices/preferences are very individual.

When making sauces, they need extra embellishments with no expectation of the typical TOMATO sauce flavors — some of those flavors come from lycopene etc. pigments... though I HAVE made some really GOOD yellow sauces from good yellow varieties. (Still working on finding and growing enough whites to end up making good sauces — I should try growing a White Sauce Garden project again.)

There are very few yellow or white varieties that I end up liking — passing my own flavor qualifications, and my family have become too spoiled to tolerate less qualifying ones, so I have grown my share of whites and yellows for experimentation, but have recently tended to grow less new ones — only sticking with the varieties that we have liked in the past. We HAVE amassed quite a few selection of PINK varieties we like though.

[pepperhead212]

The yellow and the few white tomatoes that I have tried have all been mildly flavored - whether the acidity is low I don't know. Many red, black, green, and orange varieties have had great flavors, though some of those have been mild, as well.

[Dissily Mordentroge]

I wonder if there’s any science out there backing many of the claims about sweet/sour balance in different varieties?
Two things though I’m certain of. Pick tomatoes in the middle of the day and they’ll be sweeter, given they’re mature enough.
I deliberately pick some varieties when not fully ripe to make tomato based sauces for seafood. In the end though I suppose the most reliable test it the 'suck it and see’ one, without paying too much attention to the ‘rules’.

[TomatoNut95]

Aunt Ruby's German Green is an excellent flavored beefsteak type green tomato. I was very pleased with that one, it would make an interesting green mild ketchup or sauce.

This year I'm planning to grow White Beauty. It was a variety I bought a few years ago and never got to try it. (Some of my varieties I plan to grow a year get pushed aside because I am so short on space and I end up growing other varieties)

@Applestar, if you haven't tried White Beauty either, I can send you some seed if you like. I'm hoping it will be better flavored than that White Cherry...

I am pleased with people who are willing to eat different colors of tomatoes and not turn their nose up at a black one. People are quick to judge a tomato by its color. I judge mine on taste and texture. My mother is one of those judgemental people who has gone, 'oh gross' at the thought of eating a black skinned tomato. However, over time I have gotten her to eat different colors of tomatoes but she really prefers red or yellow. Garden Peach seems to be her favorite. My Aunt also has complimented on that variety as well.

[Dissily Mordentroge]

My mother is one of those judgemental people who has gone, 'oh gross' at the thought of eating a black skinned tomato.

Make a sauce for mother with ripe Black Russian tomatoes but don’t tell her the name. Maybe after you tell her what she’s eating she’ll change her mind.

[Gary350]

Old wine makers trick. If you make bad flavor wine add sugar it hides the bad flavor now you have good sweet wine. LOL.

Another cool trick. Pick ripe tomatoes then leave them in the house for 3 days acid turns to sugar. It appears acid has turned to sugar but maybe tomatoes have gotten sweeter and that hides acid flavor. I wish I had a good ph tester other than ph paper. I would like to know how much ph drops every 24 hours if it is really dropping?