Tuning assistance needed

I took a look at the "create_object" tuple for you in the .tdesc files. There is no tunable present that allows manipulation of the amount of objects created with the "create_object" tuple; it always creates a single object.* So if you want it to make 5 tomatos and 1 empty can, then you will have to specify 6 "create_object" tuples. It may look clunky to you but it is actually fairly elegant in the sense that it allows you to tune the base chance, as well as a success chance based on testing conditions of each individual item if you so desired (and several more tunables).

About the quality/freshness of the tomatos, I believe you are looking for the following code in regards to the "object_state" tunable (you can find the states a specific object can be by opening its .xml, I found these states in the S4_B61DE6B4_00000000_00000000000128CD_object_GardeningFruit_Tomato):

<L n="initial states"
<!-- Choose one of the following-->
<T>15211<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_00_Wild--></T>
<T>15212<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_01_Sickly--></T>
<T>15213<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_02_Frail--></T>
<T>15214<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_03_Meager--></T>
<T>15215<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_04_Scrubby--></T>
<T>15216<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_05_Common--></T>
<T>15217<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_06_Sturdy--></T>
<T>15218<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_07_Hearty--></T>
<T>15219<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_08_Vigorous--></T>
<T>15220<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_09_Lush--></T>
<T>15221<!--ObjectStateValue: GardeningQuality_10_Pristine--></T>

<!-- Choose one of the following-->
<T>15194<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: FruitDecay_1_RottenFruit--></T>
<T>15195<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: FruitDecay_2_PickedFruit--></T>
<T>15196<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: FruitDecay_3_FallenFruit--></T>
<T>15197<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: FruitDecay_4_RipeFruit--></T>
<T>15198<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: FruitDecay_5_NewFruit--></T>
</L>

I hope that helps you build your own "create_object" tuple!

* The <U n="single"> simply means that there is a single outcome for this interaction, versus the <U n="dual"> tuple that allows for two outcomes, one if the interaction succeeds and one if it fails. This, however, has nothing to do with the amount of objects created by the "create_object" but instead refers to a scenario where a sim may either fail or succeed in opening the package (only one of which would make use of the "create_object" tuple).

You are most welcome.

To be fair, I have never modded with fruits myself, those object states may not all be necessary at all. You will just have to try and see for yourself.
You can also begin by only adding one of the consumable quality object states instead as a base point and see how they act in the game.

The code for that is:

<L n="initial states">
<!-- Choose one of the following-->
<T>15304<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: Quality_Normal--></T>
<T>15305<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: Quality_Outstanding--></T>
<T>15306<!--CommodityBasedObjectStateValue: Quality_Poor--></T>
</L>

The .tdesc for the create_object tuple describes object_states and ObjectStateValue specifically as input fields for the tunable inside the initial_states tunable list. It would make sense for the quality to be changed inside that tunable. It might be something else going wrong or there is something about fruit that is different... (though it might also simply work differently than I think it does).

You could try a loot list but then you'd first have to check if there is a tuple that allows you to more easily assign items as loot in that .xml. It might call the same function, or a different one, or not allow items as loot at all. So far I only used loot lists for buffs and traits myself.

I will look a little further into this for you after I wake up properly!

I took at the look at your .package and the code is solid. Just to be safe I tested the object in my own game, but there it also stops working as soon as I add the quality object_state. In an effort to deduce whether it was something in your .package or the code itself I made a change to the original open seed interaction and that one, too, stopped working when I added an object_state.

There are two things I can think of to try still:

1: The way quality works is that each object has a value under the object state that registers quality, this value is then "read" by the game and the object is assigned a label based on that value. It could be the syntax for the tunable is wrong (it does call for the ObjectStateValue (a value being a number)) and it has to be assigned that specific value, which then gives it the corresponding label. The problem is I am not 100% sure how to tell the game the value belongs to a particular object state (in this case quality). In other words: I have to search for the correct syntax (which means either trial-and-error or browsing through all the interaction .xmls to see if one of them has an example syntax).
2: The other thing I can think of is that the created object (in this case the tomato) has an inherent default "value" in its quality object_state. We could also try to manipulate this, but only if it is a local definition. If the default state is assigned somewhere in a global file to all commodities simultaneously then it won't work.

I tried both options and I can not figure out how to change the default "Normal" quality. Whatever I try, either the can fails to open, or it opens with 4 normal quality tomatoes in spite of my code.

For option 1, the only similar code I found was located in another interaction file that cloned an object from the world to a sim's inventory. Here they did apply initial_states but they were based on tests comparing the created object to the original object. When I tried to use a similar code the object did work, but the vegetable can still returned 4 normal tomatoes to me (argh). This might be because the initial_states list is restricted to ObjectStateValues, and technically consumable quality is a CommodityBasedObjectStateValue. (This would even imply it might be impossible to change the quality...?)

For option 2, I looked at the tomato tuning itself but the default state for consumables is apparently defined somewhere else. I also took a look at lootlists and while you can specify objects as a rewards (reward_objects) the create_object code seems a better fit for what you want as it is more straight forward, provides more options and lootlists don't allow changes to the object_state (except in the event that a change to an object's state is the loot (like when a sim ages up)).

While I still believe it should theoretically be possible to change the tomato to an outstanding quality somehow I ran out of things to try. Perhaps you can try posting your question on MTS? Someone there might know something I don't. While I am becoming quite decent at modding I am nowhere near as proficient as some of the MTS guys and girls!