Effective preservation techniques are essential to ensure tomatoes are available year-round, given their high perishability. This study aimed to identify the most effective drying technique for preserving the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of tomatoes. To achieve this, different saline (sodium chloride) and acidic (lemon juice) solutions were used at various concentrations to determine the optimal level. Standard methods were employed for nutritional and bioactive characterisation. The results showed that the T3T5 solution (6% salt + 3% lemon juice) produced the best colour, pH and water content. Analysis showed that tomato powder treated with this solution had the lowest protein (21.07% DM) and lipid (7.72 ± 0.70% DM) contents, as well as the highest Brix degrees (50.63 ± 1.10 °Brix) and sugar content (47.36 ± 2.17% DM), and the greatest energy value (343.21 kcal/100 g DM). The ash (9.03 ± 0.05% DM) and mineral contents were high in the treated tomato powder. Similarly, the treated tomato powders had the highest vitamin C, beta-carotene, lycopene and polyphenol contents. Based on these results, it can be concluded that osmotic dehydration enables tomatoes to be dried using minimal energy while concentrating nutrients for the consumer's benefit.





