Concentrations of organic acids and soluble sugars in juices from Nordic berries

Comprehensive information was gathered on acid and sugar concentrations of six wild berries (bilberry, lingonberry, cranberry, cloudberry, red raspberry and black crowberry) and five cultivated berries [blackcurrant, whitecurrant, redcurrant, gooseberry (red) and strawberry], all grown in Finland. The main acids of the berry juices were invariably citric and malic acids, even though their concentrations varied widely from one berry to another (2.9-16.2 and 3.3-24.7 g l(-1), respectively). In addition, juices of lingonberry, cranberry, cloudberry and black crowberry contained benzoic acid (0.1-0.7 g l(-1)). The main sugars of the investigated berry juices were fructose (18.0-57.2 g l(-1)) and glucose (22.2-50.0 g l(-1)). Most of the berries contained also sucrose (0.2-5.1 g l(-1)). The data enable equivalent comparison of Nordic berries and underline the wide variation in their acid and sugar content and so the possibilities for production of numerous organoleptic profiles.