Abstract
Sweet onions have gained global importance because of their mild flavor and tear-free properties. A field investigation with seventeen Walla Walla Sweet onion entries grown at the IAREC of Washington State Univ. were evaluated in 1994 and 1995. The flavor and quality characteristics such as pyruvic acid and total sugar (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) concentrations were analyzed by spectroscopy and HPLC respectively. The pyruvic acid concentration in bulbs stored (5 °C and 65% to 75 % relative humidity) for 0, 2, and 4 months increased as the storage time increased. During 1994 and 1995 the pyruvic acid ranges during storage were 4.8 to 7.9 and 2.9 to 9.6 mmols·g–1, respectively. Total sugar concentration in 1994 decreased as the storage period increased, while in 1995 the trend was reversed. There was a higher concentration of sucrose in 1995. In general, Walla Walla onions showed a higher sugar: pyruvic acid ratio among different entries compared to short-day (Vidalia and Texas Grano 1015Y) onions.
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