TEXTURE STUDIES AND COMPRESSION BEHAVIOUR OF APPLE FLESH

Abstract

Compressive behavior of fruit flesh has been studied using mechanical tests and microstructural analysis. Apple flesh from two cultivars (Braeburn and Cox's Orange Pippin) was investigated to represent the extremes in a spectrum of fruit flesh types, hard and juicy (Braeburn) and soft and mealy (Cox's). Force-deformation curves produced during compression of unconstrained discs of apple flesh followed trends predicted from the literature for each of the "juicy" and "mealy" types. The curves display the rupture point and, in some cases, a point of inflection that may be related to the point of incipient juice release. During compression these discs of flesh generally failed along the centre line, perpendicular to the direction of loading, through a barrelling mechanism. Cryo-Scanning Electron Microscopy (cryo-SEM) was used to examine the behavior of the parenchyma cells during fracture and compression using a purpose designed sample holder and compression tester. Fracture behavior reinforced the difference in mechanical properties between crisp and mealy fruit flesh. During compression testing prior to cryo-SEM imaging the apple flesh was constrained perpendicular to the direction of loading. Microstructural analysis suggests that, in this arrangement, the material fails along a compression front ahead of the compressing plate. Failure progresses by whole lines of parenchyma cells collapsing, or rupturing, with juice filling intercellular spaces, before the compression force is transferred to the next row of cells.