FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

JUSTYNA E. BOJARSKA, KATARZYNA M. MAJEWSKA, RYSZARD ZADERNOWSKI

Title

Texture of fruits of selected strawberry varieties

Abstract

The objective of the research study was to assess the texture of selected varieties of strawberries grown under uniform soil and climatic conditions. The research material comprised ten varieties of dessert strawberry fruits: ‘Camarosa’, ‘Dukat’, ‘Elsanta’, ‘Heros’, ‘Honeoye’, ‘Kama’, ‘Kent’, ‘Onebor’ (‘Marmalade’), ‘Polka’, ‘Thuriga’, and, also, fruits of ‘Senga Sengana’ industrial variety, which was deemed a control variety in the research experiment. The fruits originated from the experimental plots set on a commercial plantation in Jaroty near Olsztyn. During two consecutive years, the samples were collected from plants, which were randomly selected from each variety. The content of dry matter was determined. The texture of fresh fruits was measured using a universal testing machine: INSTRON 4301 (USA). To assess the fruit firmness, two tests were applied: a penetration test and a test of uniaxial compression between plates. The measurements were performed at a room temperature of 20+ 2°C in 30 repetitions. It was found that the content of dry matter in the fruits of the varieties analyzed varied significantly. The fruits of ‘Camarosa’ variety (9.75 %) contained the lowest content of dry matter and the highest content was in the ‘Heros’, ‘Elsanta’, and ‘Senga Sengana’ fruits (above 10.87 %). The penetration test performed showed that the fruits of the ‘Kent’, ‘Elsanta’, ‘Onebor’, and ‘Thuriga’ varities were characterized by the highest Fp max puncture force (above 2.7 N), whereas the fruits of the ‘Heros’, ‘Dukat’, and ‘Honeoye’ varieties had the lowest compactness of structure (below 1.1 N/mm). The results of the compression test were consistent with the above cited results. The fruits of the ‘Kent’ variety were characterized by the highest values of the analyzed texture parameters that were obtained in the two tests (Fp max, Ep max, Fś max , Eś max).

Keywords

strawberry, varieties, texture, puncturing, compression

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