Articles
The physico-chemical signature of apricots reveals a large variability of their processing ability
Article number
1450_21
Pages
159 – 168
Language
English
Abstract
Although apricots can be processed into dried, syrup, jam, nectar, sauce or ice cream, only a few examples of specific selection for their processing capacity are available.
In France, processing mainly aims at valorizing the whole fresh fruit production (from 4 to 18% depending on the year). In this study, we explore genetic resources through quality traits linked to processing potential.
The idea is to promote the use of a larger genetic diversity into manufactured products.
Ten cultivars were selected from the INRAE collection (Gotheron, France) to be representative of known phylogenetic groups of the species, and for a few as representative of locally adapted cultivars.
Fruits were harvested at commercial and full maturity stages in 2022 and 2023, characterized for their sugar, acid and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content and color, and processed into jam or cut into cylinders and cooked in syrup.
The jams were characterized for color, viscosity and VOCs, and the mechanical strength of the cylinders was assessed by compression.
For color, the a* value varied from -0.45 to 25.2 for fruits, while it ranged from 0.19 to 8.1 for jam.
Except for extreme values (white apricots), jam color was difficult to predict from the color of fruit.
For texture, jam and cylinders showed varietal differences ranging from simple to double for viscosity and from 1 to around 12 for mechanical strength, and, interestingly, were not correlated.
For VOCs, apart from the obvious reduction in variability between fresh fruit and jam, there was no clear grouping of cultivars according to their composition, either for fresh or for jam.
This work shows that traits linked to apricot processing capacity have a genetic variability that differs from that of fresh fruit and therefore opens the way to a selection dedicated to its use in processing.
In France, processing mainly aims at valorizing the whole fresh fruit production (from 4 to 18% depending on the year). In this study, we explore genetic resources through quality traits linked to processing potential.
The idea is to promote the use of a larger genetic diversity into manufactured products.
Ten cultivars were selected from the INRAE collection (Gotheron, France) to be representative of known phylogenetic groups of the species, and for a few as representative of locally adapted cultivars.
Fruits were harvested at commercial and full maturity stages in 2022 and 2023, characterized for their sugar, acid and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) content and color, and processed into jam or cut into cylinders and cooked in syrup.
The jams were characterized for color, viscosity and VOCs, and the mechanical strength of the cylinders was assessed by compression.
For color, the a* value varied from -0.45 to 25.2 for fruits, while it ranged from 0.19 to 8.1 for jam.
Except for extreme values (white apricots), jam color was difficult to predict from the color of fruit.
For texture, jam and cylinders showed varietal differences ranging from simple to double for viscosity and from 1 to around 12 for mechanical strength, and, interestingly, were not correlated.
For VOCs, apart from the obvious reduction in variability between fresh fruit and jam, there was no clear grouping of cultivars according to their composition, either for fresh or for jam.
This work shows that traits linked to apricot processing capacity have a genetic variability that differs from that of fresh fruit and therefore opens the way to a selection dedicated to its use in processing.
Publication
Authors
J. Giroud-Argoud, B. Gouble, S. Bureau, I. Souchon, D. Page
Keywords
Prunus armeniaca, diversity, fruit quality, fruit processing
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