Physicochemical characteristics of selected sweet cherry cultivars

The volatile, sugar, and organic acid constituents in 12 cultivars and selections of sweet cherries (Prunus avium L.) were characterized and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography (GC). Fruit weight, soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA), and color (CIE L*, a*, b*) were also determined at harvest. Weight ranged from 8.8 to 14.5 g per fruit, SSC from 13.5 to 24.5 degrees Brix, and SSC/TA ratio from 18.3 to 29.0. Chroma was a better indicator of color variations among sweet cherry cultivars compared to the hue angle as it correlated highly with L*, a*, and b* values (r > 0.90). The major nonvolatile constituents varied widely among cultivars: glucose [5.2-8.8 g/100 g of fresh weight (FW)], fructose (4.4-6.4 g/100 g of FW), sorbitol and mannitol (2.2-8.0 g/100 g of FW), and malic acid (502.7-948.3 mg/100 g of FW). Three principal components accounted for 53.3% of the total variation among 50 volatile compounds assessed by a dynamic headspace GC method. (E)-2-Hexenol, benzaldehyde, hexanal, and (E)-2-hexenal were predominant flavor volatiles and could be used to segregate commercial and new cherry selections into various subgroups.