QUALITY EVALUATION OF RED AND WHITE CURRANT CULTIVARS

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the quality of red and white currant cultivars and the changes in quality after storage. Quality of 7 red currant, 'Fertodi Korai', 'Red Dutch', 'Rachnovskaya', 'Heinemann's Rote Spatlese', 'Rovada', 'Varshevicha', and 'Viksnes Sarkanas', and 4 white currant, 'Cirvja Piets', 'White Dutch', 'Viksnes Baltas', and 'Werdavia', cultivars was determined. Ascorbic acid, total anthocyanins, and soluble solids contents of fresh and frozen berries were measured. Average berry weight and the number of flowers per raceme were evaluated. 'White Dutch' and Latvian 'Cirvja Piets' have the highest ascorbic acid content, Latvian 'Viksnes Sarkanas' and 'Varshevicha' have high anthocyanin content, and 'Werdavia', 'Heinemann's Rote Spatlese', and 'Red Duch' recorded the highest soluble solids content. 'Heinemann's Rote Spatlese' and 'Rovada' gave the largest number of flowers per raceme. Frozen storage did not influence anthocyanin and soluble solids content, but significantly reduced ascorbic acid content for both red and white currant cultivars by 18.2% and 19.0% respectively in 2002 and 2003. The least ascorbic acid loss was in red currant 'Viksnes Sarkanas' (4.15%). The best white currant cultivars for fresh market following integrated analysis were 'White Dutch', 'Cirvja Piets', and 'Werdavia'. The best red currant cultivars were 'Heinemann's Rote Spatlese', 'Fertodi Korai' and 'Viksnes Sarkanas'.