Flavour and texture changes in apple cultivars during storage

Abstract

Storage induced sensory changes of Finnish apples were defined and quantified with descriptive analysis. Twelve cultivars were evaluated at 3–5 storage points during 8–17 weeks (+3 °C). The lexicon consisted of 15 attributes: two related to odour (fruity, intensity), five to texture (hard, crispy, mealy, juicy, soggy), five to flavour (sour, sweet, astringent, intensity, diversity), and three to deterioration (mouldy odour, fermented odour/flavour). Major changes were observed during the follow-up period, but differences in cultivar performance were large. Storage influenced mostly texture, especially juiciness and mealiness. Sourness diminished in several cultivars. Hierarchical cluster analysis on attribute intensities revealed four distinctive clusters (CL). Apples in CL1 were juicy, crispy and sour with high flavour intensity. In CL2 and CL3 apples were medium sour, but in the latter crispier, juicier and sweeter. Apples in CL4 were sweet and medium mealy with low sourness. During storage, most cultivars shifted clusters, especially to CL2 and CL4, indicating that storage time modifies their sensory profiles. Thus, not only the cultivar, but also the storage time shapes the sensory properties. Understanding that cultivars may belong to different clusters in the course of storage, and consequently appeal to different consumer segments, should be helpful for marketing.