Karaktärisering av äpplesorter : för framställning av juice och cider

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study was to evaluate which apple cultivars are best suited for production of juice and cider. The study was limited to 41 cultivars. Common as well as uncommon apple cultivars were selected from available cultivars in the cold storage at Balsgård, Department of Horticultural Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, SLU.The practical part of the study consisted of the apples being pressed, and then the juice characteristics being assessed by appropriate criteria and methods of analysis. The analyses consisted of measurment of soluble sugars with a refractometer (Brix), titration of total acidity, determination of total phenolic content with a spectrophotometer, estimation of alcohol content by density meters and qualitative taste tests.The study did not account for different maturity of cultivars. Different apple cultivars were pressed on separate occasions, before and after Christmas 2010. Some cultivars may have been at their most appropriate level of maturity, while others may have been less suitable because of low or high maturity. This is one among several factors that likely have influenced the results.Despite this a general result of the study was that the panel gave the highest appreciation for the cultivars that they rated as the sweetest, and the lowest to the cultivars that they rated as most acidic. This was identical in the taste assessments of both juice and cider.The most popular cultivars as juice were Wilhelmine, Kaiser Wilhelm, Schöner aus Nordhausen and Cox's Orange Red. The least popular cultivars as juice were Wellington, Mutsu, East Malling and Adamsparmän.The most popular cultivars as cider were NY 45500-3, Mutsu, McIntosh Cornell and East Malling. The least popular cultivars as cider were Wellington, Queen Cox, Kaiser Wilhelm and John Standish.Apple cultivars varied widely, in both biochemical content and other more qualitative properties. This rich variaton can be used to select cultivars and develop products with different flavor profiles. The results of this study demonstrated that the perception of sweetness and acidity are among the most important characteristics. With the help of a wide range of different cultivars, it is possible to blend juices and ciders that have optimum content of sugars and acids. The taste evaluation showed a wide range of other perceived flavors, including many which were interesting and enjoyable. To get a rich and full-flavoured beverage, it is suitable to blend cultivars with different complementary flavors, so that the final beverage naturally have a wide range of appealing flavors.Swedish apple cultivation, as well as juice and cider making, could benefit from being more observant to consumer preferences and the properties of the different apple cultivars. There is much room for improvement in this field. Many other countries have a cultivation that is much more focused on specific cultivars for different processing purposes. In order to more optimally meet consumer taste preferences, this would also be strived for in Sweden.