FACTORS GOVERNING SENSORY QUALITY OF POMEGRANATE FRUIT

A combination of various taste (sweet, sour, bitter), aroma (red wine, fruity and off-flavor odors), and mouthfeel sensations (astringency, juiciness and seed hardness) resulted in perceivable flavor of pomegranate.
Sensory analysis tests explored wide varietal variability in sensory quality of pomegranate arils among distinct cultivars, comprised of large variations in perception of sweetness, sourness, bitterness, red-rind, fruity odors and seed hardness.
Furthermore, sensory quality and flavor preference of pomegranate arils considerably altered during the ripening process.
Sweet-sour cultivars expressed a significant decrease in perception of ‘sourness’, whereas in “sweet” cultivars a significant decrease in perception of ‘astringency’ mouthfeel was noticed.
Gradual decrease in flavor preference, which was attributed to a decrease in typical ‘fruity’ pomegranate odor and increases in ‘overripe’ and ‘off-flavor’ odors was observed during prolonged storage.
Overall, the importance of selection of exclusive cultivars could be emphasized with high preferred flavor and to harvest fruit at optimal maturity and not to store the fruit too long after harvest.

III International Symposium on Pomegranate and Minor Mediterranean Fruits

L. Mayuoni-Kirshenbaum, R. Porat

flavor, pomegranate, ripening, storage

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1089.40