Abstract: Our aim was to study the effect of different harvest ripeness on storage quality of tomatoes. We had used ‘Provencal’ tomatoes which were respectively harvest in green ripe period, color changing period, mature period, pre-red ripe period, mid-red ripe period and late-red ripe period as experimental materials, and stored these tomatoes in 18℃ during experiment. Our results suggested that after tomatoes harvested in green ripe period stored to complete ripe period, the decay rate and the weight loss rate being 0.87-1.19 times and 1.13-3.62 times higher, otherwise lycopene being 20.1%-25.6% lower than tomatoes received the other treatments. Tomatoes harvested in color changing period had longer storage period than tomatoes from other ripe periods, and these tomatoes from color changing period had lowest weight loss rate, low decay rate, high content of reducing sugar, protein, vitamin C, lycopene, high ratio of sugar to acid, good nutrition and flavor after they stored to late-red ripe period and complete ripe period. Tomatoes from pre-red and mid-red ripe period had short storage period, and had good nutrients and flavors after stored to complete ripe period. Tomatoes from late ripe period had shortest storage period, good nutrients and flavors, lowest decay rate, moderate weight loss rate after stored to complete ripe period. Tomatoes used for long time storage should be harvested in color changing period, otherwise tomatoes used for short time storage should be harvested in pre-red and mid-red ripe period. Tomatoes used for fresh eating should be harvested in late red ripe period. Tomatoes harvested in green ripe period were not suitable for storage.