Postharvest quality and sensory attributes of Ficus carica L

Abstract

The aim of this research was to evaluate the relationship between some physical and chemical characteristics and sensory descriptors of fig fruits ‘Dottato’ and ‘Melanzana’, belonging to the national germplasm bank of fig trees and cultivated in Southern Italy. The sensory principal descriptors used are external appearance, skin color, pulp color, odor, sweetness, stickiness, bitterness, juiciness, firmness, tannic taste and presence of achenes. Fresh weight, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS:TA, firmness, and sensory properties changed with cultivar. SSC was more correlated with sensory attributes than TA, but other factors may also be important in controlling this relationship, such as firmness. Our results proved that simple analysis of TSS, TA and firmness can not fully describe fruit quality, as sensory analysis does. The correlation between chemical traits and sensory descriptors, indicate that flavor, sweetness, skin color and texture best describe fruit quality, while smoothness, stickiness and bitterness were not important.