The Brix Scale

wesleythewatch · September 11, 2007

I heard mention of something called the Brix Scale the other day when talking to a veg growing guru over here called Medwyn Williams (http://www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk/).

Apparently its the measurement of taste in tomatoes. Has anyone here heard of it before?

The reason I was told about it was because I grew a small cherry tomato this year called Piccolo and it apparently measures 10 on the brix scale. They are very tasty and I'd be keen to grow any other that has a high Brix score like them. Any suggestions?

Wes

dice · September 11, 2007

I thought Brix was a measurement of sugar content
in vegetables/fruit, and I get the impression that
is how it is commonly used when applied to tomatoes.

But apparently that was not the original meaning of
"high Brix":

http://www.living-foods.com/articles...%20WORD%20BRIX

More detail:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix

happychick · September 12, 2007

Hey, Brix. Something I actually know a little about. Brix isn't consistent with the variety of the tomato. It varies with each plant. At least, the "original" Brix did. It can be altered by the way you grow your plant - fertilizers, etc.

**carolyn137** · September 12, 2007

Basically Brix measure soluble sugars and that doesn't equal taste.

But it is a measurement used by large scale commercial farmers as an indication of when to start mechanical harvesting.

Over 400 organic compounds have been detected by mass spectroscopy allegedly having to do with taste and none of them have been IDed and no genes yet associated with any of them.

feldon30 · September 12, 2007

Just to beat a dead horse, Brix measures the sugar content of the tomatoes. Farmers will sacrifice a tomato fruit and do a Brix test to see if it has reached the sugar level required of them by their customers. When they reach a sufficient Brix level, the tomatoes are picked green and shipped to the [ethylene] gas chamber.

moulman · September 12, 2007

Yes, it is measurable soluable sugars, but it does not relate specifically to tomatoes. "Brix" is a term borrowed from the wine growing industry, and is the primary means to determine when the grapes are at their peak (sugar/acid balance is critical) and ready to be wine.

Worth1 · September 12, 2007

Stupid me!
I thought it was something you weighed brix/bricks on.

Worth

**carolyn137** · September 12, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by moulman

Yes, it is measurable soluable sugars, but it does not relate specifically to tomatoes. "Brix" is a term borrowed from the wine growing industry, and is the primary means to determine when the grapes are at their peak (sugar/acid balance is critical) and ready to be wine.

True enough and I sure hope I didn't imply it's used only for tomatoes.

It's used for pears, peaches, plums, grapes, sometimes melons, and on and on for a wide variety of fruits.

Sometimes it's used as an indication of sugar content as to when to harvest and sometimes it's used in the lab when new varieties are being developed.

amideutch · September 12, 2007

Check out this site. It will pretty much explain to you why Brix and how it is measured. There is also a brix forum at yahoo.com. Ami
http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm

feldon30 · September 12, 2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by amideutch

Check out this site. It will pretty much explain to you why Brix and how it is measured. There is also a brix forum at yahoo.com. Ami
http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm

That is an excellent article and I agree with the points made.

Quote:

Neither does the layman realize that there may be a pronounced difference in both foods and soils - to him one vegetable, one glass of milk, or one egg is about the same as another.

The layman assumes that by adding a little fertilizer to (any soil), a satisfactory vegetable or fruit can be grown.

What passes for fruits and vegetables at the store these days truly saddens me. People ask me why I grow not only tomatoes but other vegetables (I would grow more fruit and try my hand at fruit trees if I had the space). My response is "Have you tasted the fruits and veggies at the grocery store?!"

wesleythewatch · September 12, 2007

Wow Guy's thanks for that.

You lot realy do eat, sleep and breath tomatoes.

Has anyone else ever grown Piccolo? If so what was your opinion of them?

wesleythewatch · September 12, 2007

I have a few spare seeds if anyone wants them by the way (self collected).

Jonathan_E · September 12, 2007

Ami,

That is a VERY interesting article on Brix, as is the one to which it links: http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm

The article you cited suggests that the results of measurement on the Brix scale is directly proportionate to quality. So far as I can tell, the author means that the amount of total dissolved solids, as measured by a refractometer, is directly proportionate to quality. That makes a bit more sense than just saying that the sugar content is proportionate to quality, because sugar is only one of the solids that tomato (or other fruit or vegatable) juice will have in it, even if it is the major one, and sugar is not itself, as Carolyn pointed out, directly related to quality.

However, the fact that it makes a bit more sense doesn't mean that it makes entire sense. Has anyone here tried testing his or her tomatoes with a refractometer (I haven't)? How much of a correlation have you observed with taste?

Also, has anyone tried measuring the Brix in the leaves of your tomato plants to determine the quality of the soil, uptake of nutrients, etc.? Both articles make some rather startling statements, such as that high-brix plants don't suffer from pests or diseases.

Thanks,

Jonathan

JerryL · September 13, 2007

Nature Sweet has several contests each year. They’re primary criteria is Brix followed by a tasting.

Sungold frequently wins the small tomato category.

http://www.naturesweettomatoes.com/default.asp?NodeId=845

No, I have never won.

Actually I've never entered.

ilex · September 10, 2016

This is kind of a late reply. Measuring brix is part of my seed saving routine, as it is tasting them. I do it as a way to compare many varieties grown together.

Brix probably relates more to flavour intensity than quality as there are many things that affect quality. For example, you can have bad texture, bad flavours, not the right balance between sugars and acids, wrong aroma, flat flavour ... Usually, higher brix means more flavour, to the point were you can estimate brix by tasting. But, there are many exceptions as flavour is something very complex.

September 11, 2007	#1
wesleythewatch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Liverpool UK Posts: 34	The Brix Scale I heard mention of something called the Brix Scale the other day when talking to a veg growing guru over here called Medwyn Williams (http://www.medwynsofanglesey.co.uk/). Apparently its the measurement of taste in tomatoes. Has anyone here heard of it before? The reason I was told about it was because I grew a small cherry tomato this year called Piccolo and it apparently measures 10 on the brix scale. They are very tasty and I'd be keen to grow any other that has a high Brix score like them. Any suggestions? Wes __________________ All I give my garden is muck and love Nature does the rest

September 11, 2007	#2
dice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: PNW Posts: 4,743	I thought Brix was a measurement of sugar content in vegetables/fruit, and I get the impression that is how it is commonly used when applied to tomatoes. But apparently that was not the original meaning of "high Brix": http://www.living-foods.com/articles...%20WORD%20BRIX More detail: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix __________________ -- alias

September 12, 2007	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Basically Brix measure soluble sugars and that doesn't equal taste. But it is a measurement used by large scale commercial farmers as an indication of when to start mechanical harvesting. Over 400 organic compounds have been detected by mass spectroscopy allegedly having to do with taste and none of them have been IDed and no genes yet associated with any of them. __________________ Carolyn

September 12, 2007	#5
feldon30 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Rock Hill, SC Posts: 5,346	Just to beat a dead horse, Brix measures the sugar content of the tomatoes. Farmers will sacrifice a tomato fruit and do a Brix test to see if it has reached the sugar level required of them by their customers. When they reach a sufficient Brix level, the tomatoes are picked green and shipped to the [ethylene] gas chamber. __________________ [SIZE="3"]I've relaunched my gardening website -- [B]TheUnconventionalTomato.com[/B][/SIZE] * [I][SIZE="1"]*I'm not allowed to post weblinks so you'll have to copy-paste it manually.[/SIZE][/I]

September 12, 2007	#6
moulman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Idaho Posts: 68	Brix Yes, it is measurable soluable sugars, but it does not relate specifically to tomatoes. "Brix" is a term borrowed from the wine growing industry, and is the primary means to determine when the grapes are at their peak (sugar/acid balance is critical) and ready to be wine. __________________ No one ever learned a thing while they were talking.

September 12, 2007	#3
happychick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Southeast Texas Posts: 37	Hey, Brix. Something I actually know a little about. Brix isn't consistent with the variety of the tomato. It varies with each plant. At least, the "original" Brix did. It can be altered by the way you grow your plant - fertilizers, etc.

September 12, 2007	#7
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Stupid me! I thought it was something you weighed brix/bricks on. Worth

September 12, 2007	#9
amideutch Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Germany 49°26"N 07°36"E Posts: 5,041	Check out this site. It will pretty much explain to you why Brix and how it is measured. There is also a brix forum at yahoo.com. Ami http://www.tandjenterprises.com/brix_equals_quality.htm __________________ Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘...Holy Crap .....What a ride!'

September 12, 2007	#13
Jonathan_E Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 111	Ami, That is a VERY interesting article on Brix, as is the one to which it links: http://www.crossroads.ws/CRActive/PikeAg.htm The article you cited suggests that the results of measurement on the Brix scale is directly proportionate to quality. So far as I can tell, the author means that the amount of total dissolved solids, as measured by a refractometer, is directly proportionate to quality. That makes a bit more sense than just saying that the sugar content is proportionate to quality, because sugar is only one of the solids that tomato (or other fruit or vegatable) juice will have in it, even if it is the major one, and sugar is not itself, as Carolyn pointed out, directly related to quality. However, the fact that it makes a bit more sense doesn't mean that it makes entire sense. Has anyone here tried testing his or her tomatoes with a refractometer (I haven't)? How much of a correlation have you observed with taste? Also, has anyone tried measuring the Brix in the leaves of your tomato plants to determine the quality of the soil, uptake of nutrients, etc.? Both articles make some rather startling statements, such as that high-brix plants don't suffer from pests or diseases. Thanks, Jonathan Last edited by Jonathan_E; September 13, 2007 at 03:45 PM.

September 13, 2007	#14
JerryL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: S.W. Ohio z6a Posts: 736	Nature Sweet has several contests each year. They’re primary criteria is Brix followed by a tasting. Sungold frequently wins the small tomato category. http://www.naturesweettomatoes.com/default.asp?NodeId=845 No, I have never won. Actually I've never entered. __________________ Jerry

September 10, 2016	#15
ilex Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Spain Posts: 416	This is kind of a late reply. Measuring brix is part of my seed saving routine, as it is tasting them. I do it as a way to compare many varieties grown together. Brix probably relates more to flavour intensity than quality as there are many things that affect quality. For example, you can have bad texture, bad flavours, not the right balance between sugars and acids, wrong aroma, flat flavour ... Usually, higher brix means more flavour, to the point were you can estimate brix by tasting. But, there are many exceptions as flavour is something very complex.