2024 journal article
Multiparametric Cranberry (<i>Vaccinium macrocarpon</i> Ait.) Fruit Textural Trait Development for Harvest and Postharvest Evaluation in Representative Cultivars
JOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, 55(5).
author keywords: cranberry; fruit phenotyping; fruit quality; postharvest; texture analysis; Vaccinium
open access via doi.org (publisher)
Source: Web Of Science
Added: September 23, 2024
ABSTRACT Fruit texture is a priority trait that guarantees the long‐term economic sustainability of the cranberry industry through value‐added products such as sweetened dried cranberries (SDCs). To develop a standard methodology to measure texture, we conducted a comparative analysis of 22 textural traits using five different methods under both harvest and postharvest conditions in 10 representative cranberry cultivars. A set of textural traits from the 10%‐strain compression and puncture methods were identified that differentiate between cultivars primarily based on hardness/stiffness and elasticity properties. The complementary use of both methodologies allowed for a detailed evaluation by capturing the effect of key texture‐determining factors such as structure, flesh, and skin. Furthermore, the high effectiveness of this approach in different conditions and its ability to capture high phenotypic variation in cultivars highlights its great potential for applicability in various areas of the value chain and research. Therefore, this study provides an informed reference for unifying future efforts to enhance cranberry fruit texture and quality.