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Introduction: Citrus hybrids with Poncirus trifoliata L. Raf. introgression have gained interest due to their tolerance to Huanglongbing (HLB), a devastating disease for Florida citrus agriculture. While these hybrids inherit disease tolerance from P. trifoliata, they sometimes also suffer from undesirable off-flavors. Methods: A selection of thirteen genotypes were harvested over the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons. Their juices were evaluated by a trained sensory panel and were comprehensively analyzed for their chemical makeup, including soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), volatiles, flavonoids and limonoids. Results & discussion: Overall, along with the commercial orange cultivars 'Valencia' and 'Hamlin', the HLB-tolerant Poncirus hybrid 'US SunDragon,' and the mandarin hybrids Sugar Belle¬, FF-5-51-2, and 'US Superna' had positive citrus flavor quality. Esters, some sesquiterpenes, along with flavonoids, eriocitrin and quercetin-3-(3R-glucosylrutinoside), were positively correlated with orange flavor while b-ionone and eucalyptol were highly abundant in the mandarins. The flavonoid linarin, was more abundant in Poncirus hybrids with off-flavors than in the Poncirus hybrid 'US SunDragon', having high orange flavor. Two mandarin hybrids, FF-5-6-36 and FTP-6-32-67, were not bitter at harvest, but the juice exhibited delayed bitterness after storage at -20°C, which was associated with significant increases of limonin, nomilin, naringenin, and prunin. Interestingly, during freezer storage, a newly identified flavonoid in citrus, tricin-C-hexoside, increased dramatically across all of the genotypes. The identification of diseasetolerant hybrids with satisfactory flavor quality at juicing as well as after storage where delayed bitterness may develop, has great significance for future breeding efforts for fresh fruit or for use in stand-alone juice/juice blends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With 4 figures and 3 tables Abstract Many volatile compounds have been shown to influence the flavour of strawberry ( Fragaria spp.) fruit. A published study demonstrated that linalool, a critical flavour compound, is produced in cultivated F. × ananassa varieties owing to a truncated form of the NEROLIDOL SYNTHASE (NES) enzyme. The corresponding allele ( FaNES1) features a 5′-deletion that is detectable by PCR. Herein, we tested a broad set of strawberry genotypes to understand the origin of the allele and to identify materials that may be preferred candidates for molecular breeding. The results indicate that the FaNES1 allele (linalool+) is not present in any diploid, tetraploid or hexaploid accession tested. It is present in 112 F. × ananassa cultivars examined. The FaNES1 allele is present in all but three of 46 wild F. virginiana and F. chiloensis genotypes. Two of these three lines continue to produce linalool despite the absence of the allele. This survey suggests that the FaNES1 allele possibly arose following octoploidization and that linalool possibly is an important factor in strawberry biology, aside from its role in anthrocentric fruit quality attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Two major winter melon ( Benincasa hispida ) cultivars, waxy ‘Large Round’ and non-waxy ‘Southern Dark Skin’ were used for comparison of the physical, chemical and sensory properties of processed juice. Two types of juice were processed by using non-waxy fruits: non-waxy juice without peel (NW) and non-waxy juice with peel (NWP). For waxy fruit, the juice was prepared without peel (W) only. Peel tissues contributed firm particles, and more primary and secondary metabolites. The total tyrosine, phenylalanine, and dietary fiber content in NWP were 12.14 mg L−1, 11.78 mg L−1 and 1.04% respectively, which were significantly higher than in W and NW. However, NWP had more off-flavor, such as hexanal and ( E )-2-hexenal, less stability, and higher pulpy mouthfeel. W samples were more stable than NW and NWP during storage without visible sedimentation. The glucose, fructose and TA content of W were 0.58%, 0.58 and 0.23% respectively, which were significantly lower than in NW and NWP. The W juice also had less dimethyl disulfide, and hexanal, and was better rated by the sensory panel for having lower sour, salty, bitter, grassy and cooked vegetable characteristics. The results indicate that the waxy ‘Large Round’ melons are a viable candidate for juice processing. Highlights • Compared to non-waxy winter melons, waxy fruits possess better processing property. • Juice from waxy winter melons is physically stable without visible sedimentation. • Juice from waxy winter melons has less sugar, acid and off-flavor. • Juice from waxy winter melons has better sensory properties. • Fruit peels contribute more amino acids, but cause off-flavor and pulpy mouthfeel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oranges can be satisfactorily processed for fresh slices using a process of enzyme infiltration under vacuum. Scored 'Valencia' and 'Hamlin' oranges were placed under 90 kPa vacuum in water, 1% citric acid (CA), or 1000 ppm pectinase (Ultrazym) at 30 °C for 2 min followed by 30 min incubation in air. After peeling, fruit were washed, cut, and all but CA-infused slices were dipped in water or 1% CA for 2 min. Drained slices were placed in sealed 454-mL deli containers and stored at 5 °C for up to 21 days. All 'Valencia' slices had microbial counts less than 1.0 log cfuµg-1 (cfu = colony-forming units) after 7 days storage, and slices from CA-infused fruit had less than 1.0 log cfu·g-1 after 21 days storage. For 'Hamlin', CA dips controlled bacterial growth on slices from water-infused oranges, except at 14 days. Enzyme-infused oranges resulted in slices with lower counts for both cultivars. CA-treated sliced (post enzyme treatment or by infusion) oranges had higher titratable acidity initially ('Hamlin') and after 14 days ('Valencia'). When presented to a taste panel, 'Valencia' slices from enzyme-peeled fruit were preferred for texture after 2 days and 8 days in storage, in contrast, slices from fruit infused with water or citric acid were least preferred, were firmer, and had thicker segment membranes. Appearance of enzyme-treated fruit was preferred for 'Hamlin' oranges. Enzyme treatments increased levels of aroma volatiles, methanol and methyl butanoate, in 'Hamlin' slices, but overall sensory flavor data were unaffected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fragaria vesca is a diploid strawberry species that produces gourmet, aromatic fruits with only limited commercial production because of its relative obscurity. Most F. vesca research focuses on genetics and fruit aroma, but yield and fruit quality data across diploid accessions are lacking. Sixteen F. vesca accessions were grown in replicated field plots in southern Florida to measure field performance and fruit quality over multiple harvests during a single growing season. Accessions 'Reine des Vallees', 'Baron Solemacher', 'Fragolina di Bosco', and 'Reugen' all had significantly higher yield (115-140 g/plot/week) and fruit number (117-139 fruit/plot/week) compared with 'Bowlenzauber', 'Attila', 'Ali Baba', and 'Pineapple Crush' (31-57 g/plot/week and 32-60 fruit/plot/week) during peak production. Total average yield ranged from 240 g ('Pineapple Crush') to 1194 g ('Baron Solemacher') per plot of 10 plants. Fruit number and fruit yield were highly correlated (R² = 0.96) for all accessions, and there was no significant difference in fruit weight among accessions through the entire season. Total soluble solids ranged from 10.9 to 13.5 °Brix, and fructose, glucose, sucrose, and total sugars ranged from 15.3 to 22.1, 13.5 to 20.0, 0.1 to 2.7, and 29.7 to 42.5 mg/g, respectively, fresh weight. Acidity ranged from 1.00% to 1.18% citric acid and was not consistently significantly different among accessions over multiple harvests. Forty-two aroma compounds were putatively identified over three harvests for each accession and included mostly esters and ketones with a few alcohols, terpenes, and aldehydes. The majority of these compounds were similarly abundant over harvests and among accessions with a few exceptions, including methyl anthranilate. These results are the first in-depth study of yield and fruit quality for a large number of F. vesca accessions that could lead to increased cultivation of this species for local markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this research was to evaluate whether an electronic tongue (e-tongue) could differentiate “taste” profiles of full ripe tomato fruit of different cultivars, harvest maturities, and exposure to refrigeration or blanching. The four cultivars included: two common commercial cultivars, ‘Tygress’ and ‘FL 47’, with round shape and firm texture; ‘Tasti-Lee’, a hybrid with high lycopene content due to the crimson gene for the premium tomato market; and ‘Cherokee Purple’, an heirloom cultivar that consistently ranked very high in taste tests. Commercially, tomatoes are often harvested at the mature green (MG) stage for the fresh fruit and food service markets, and traditional vine-ripe harvested tomatoes are generally sold directly at farmer’s markets. To assess the effect of harvest maturity on fruit flavor once the fruit are fully ripened, fruit were harvested at six maturities from MG to full red. ‘Tygress’, ‘FL 47’, and ‘Tasti-Lee’ fruit all had similar total soluble solids (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA) content regardless of harvest maturity. Nonetheless, ‘Cherokee Purple’ had much higher TSS and TA at all but the MG harvest stage. E-tongue tests not only confirmed the differences detected in TSS/TA data, but also differentiated between the three commercial cultivars, and six harvest maturities. Both refrigeration and blanching are common kitchen practices and they were tested on ‘Tasti-Lee’ fruit for which some changes in the taste profiles were found by e-tongue, especially for the refrigeration treatment. E-tongue sensors ZZ, JE, BB, HA, and JB data correlated to TSS and TA, with significantly high correlations with TSS. E-tongue profiles not only significantly related to TSS, but successfully predicted TSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the strawberry cultivar Sensation "Florida127" grown in Florida. Topics discussed include a description of the cultivar, the plant's origin and pedigree, and the advantage of its moderate plant size and long pedicels. Also mentioned are the marketable yield and average fruit weight of the variety.

The University of Florida strawberry (Fragaria xananassa Duch. ex Rosier) breeding program has maintained a continuous breeding effort since 1968 to develop cultivars that are highly adapted to winter production in west-central Florida. To gain insight into breeding progress over time, two advanced selections (UF1 and UF2) and 10 released cultivars, from Florida Belle (1975) to Florida Radiance (2008), were compared for various fruit quality traits in a two-location field study during the 2009-2010 season. Fruit size varied dramatically from 30.8 g for 'Elyana' to 16.2 g for 'Dover' at Balm, FL, and from 28.3 g for UF2 to 16.6 g for 'Dover' at Dover, FL. A linear regression of fruit size on year of release revealed an average gain of 2.6 g per year since 1975 for the cultivars and selections tested (R² = 0.44). A similar analysis revealed a reduction over time in the proportion of cull fruit (R² = 0.30). Gains were apparent for the redness of the internal flesh, from a colorimeter a* value of 16.1 for 'Florida Belle' (1975) to 34.7 for 'Carmine' (2002) but were not sustained for later releases and selections. Although there were significant differences among genotypes for all chemical traits affecting flavor, there were no discernable patterns over time. There were wide month-to-month variations in individual sugars and organic acids, except for citric acid, which was stable across months and locations. The ratio of soluble solids content to titratable acidity ranged widely among genotypes, from a high of 15.7 for 'Florida Belle' in February at Dover, FL, to a low of 6.4 for 'Winter Dawn' in January at Balm, FL. The observed variability and trends in fruit quality traits will help guide future genetic studies and inform decisions about future breeding priorities and selection procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Six SHB blueberry cultivars were observed for 2 years, 2 harvests, 2 storage weeks. • Indigocrisp and Keecrisp were the firmest and maintained firmness in storage. • Indigocrisp was the sweetest with highest blueberry flavor among cultivars. • Sensory firmness and sourness were highly correlated with instrumental measures. • Indigocrisp maintained its quality independent of environmental variables. Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.) is a specialty crop with expanding production and consumption worldwide. Southern Highbush Blueberries (SHB) require few chilling hours and include early-ripening cultivars which can be harvested in an early market window making the crop more profitable for growers in sub-tropical regions. To expand the marketability of the crop, fruit breeders are seeking to meet the current demand for fruit quality. To this end, this study gathered sensory measurements (firmness, sweetness, sourness, blueberry flavor, green flavor and off-flavors), chemical (pH, titratable acidity and soluble solids concentration), and physical attributes (compression force) on six SHB cultivars, in order to understand how fruit quality traits are affected by environmental conditions such as storage duration, year and harvest date. Differences across environmental conditions for all attributes were observed. Indigocrisp and Keecrisp were the firmest cultivars and maintained firmness over time in storage. Additionally, Indigocrisp was the sweetest and had the most blueberry and green flavors among the cultivars. On the other hand, Arcadia was the softest, as measured by sensory and compression force, but varied with year and harvest. Arcadia and Emerald were the least sweet and most sour of the cultivars, and Endura and Patrecia were intermediate for all sensory attributes. In general, sensory descriptors were well explained by instrumental measurements. Variations across seasons and storage were inconsistent among cultivars, but Indigocrisp was the most stable cultivar for the quality traits evaluated. In the end, all fruit quality traits assayed in this study were influenced by environmental conditions throughout the season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article information on a primary strawberry cultivar Winterstar. The cultivar is currently in experimental plots at the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and on trials on several commercial farms in Florida. It originated from a 2005 cross between Florida Radiance and Earlibrite. Information on its pedigree, field performance and commercialization is also provided.