Sensory Characteristics of 21 New Apple Cultivars After Short-Term Cold Air Storage

Abstract

Sensory evaluation of fruit from twenty-one new apple ( Malus × domesticaBorkh.) selections and cultivars was conducted for three consecutive years after several weeks of regular air cold storage (1ºC), relative to the standard cultivars ‘Royal Gala’, ‘Golden Delicious’ and ‘Liberty’. The cultivars were: ‘Ambrosia’, ‘Autumn Gold’, BC 8S-26-50, ‘Chinook’, ‘Co-op 25’ (Scarlet O’Hara™), ‘Co-op 29’ (Sundance™), Co-op 39 (Crimson Crisp™), CQRT10T17, CQR12T50, ‘Cripp’s Pink’, ‘Delblush’, ‘Hampshire’, ‘Jubilee Fuji’ (September Wonder™), NJ 90, NJ 109, NY 65707-19, NY 79507-49, NY 79507-72, ‘Pinova’, ‘Silken’ and ‘Runkel’. Four texture attributes (crispness, hardness, juiciness, skin toughness) and three flavor attributes (sweetness, sourness, flavor intensity) were assessed by twelve trained judges in blind panels, using unipolar 10-point scales. Analytical measurements of fruit flesh firmness were also made at harvest and immediately before the sensory evaluation. The objective was to identify cultivars with the best texture and flavor retention during air storage. The cultivars that rated highest in sensory characteristics were ‘Ambrosia’, BC 8S-26-50, ‘Chinook’, ‘Co-op 25’ (Scarlet O’Hara™), ‘Co-op 29’ (Sundance™), Co-op 39 (Crimson Crisp™), CQRT10T17, ‘Cripp’s Pink’, ‘Delblush’, ‘Jubilee Fuji’ (September Wonder™) and ‘Pinova’. These cultivars represent a wide range of juiciness, appearance, and flavor attributes, and several are disease-resistant. The applicability of the results to different growing environments is discussed.