10 - Role of maturity for improved flavour

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the role of maturity and of harvest in determining fruit quality and especially flavor. Flavor of fruits is characterized by sweet and sour taste, with typical aroma, which is often very specific and allows identification of the species or cultivar. Texture is required to be such (crisp and juicy or melting) as to favor the release of the flavor in the mouth. These characteristics are not permanent, but are developed in the course of fruit growth, and especially during maturation and ripening. The main biochemical and physiological changes occurring in fruit maturation and ripening regard color, composition, and structure. Pigment breakdown and formation, hydrolysis of starch, sugar and acid metabolism, biosynthesis of volatiles, cell wall breakdown, respiration, and ethylene production, all have an effect on flavor. Harvest is the single operation, which most affects the quality of fruit. Harvest maturity is of remarkable importance for eating quality of fruit, storage quality, susceptibility to storage disorders, and the ability to reach good quality after storage. With harvest, the input of water and sugars to the fruit is interrupted, while all the vital processes: fruit metabolism, respiration, and transpiration continue. Provided that a minimum level of maturity is reached by the fruit, biochemical changes due to maturation and ripening may occur both on and off the tree.