Burpless cucumbers are listed in many seed catalogs as being milder in taste (or easier on the digestion) than the american slicing type. It has been suggested by researchers that burpless cucumbers 1) contain less of a burp-causing compound, 2) are genetically bitterfree, or 3) are just the marketing term for oriental trellis cucumbers sold in the U.S. The objective of this experiment was to determine whether oriental trellis cucumbers cause less burping when eaten, and whether they are genetically bitterfree. An american slicer (`Marketmore 76'), a bitterfree slicer (`Marketmore 80'), and a burpless oriental trellis slicer (`Tasty Bright') were compared. Burpiness of the fruit was determined in the field in two seasons (spring and summer) and two replications. Six judges were grouped into burp-susceptible and burp-resistant. They evaluated the cultivars over two harvests by eating a 4-inch (100-mm) length of one fruit of the three cultivars (in random order) on three consecutive days. Burpiness was rated 0 to 9 (0 = none, 1 to 3 = slight, 4 to 6 = moderate, 7 to 9 = severe). Bitterness of the plants was determined (using different judges) by tasting one cotyledon of six seedlings per cultivar. Cotyledon bitterness is an indicator of plant bitterness; bitterfree plants lack cucurbitacins, and have mild-tasting fruit. Results of taste tests indicated that burpiness ratings were not significantly differentfor burp resistant judges. However, oriental trellis cucumbers were slightly but significantly milder than american slicers for judges susceptible to burping. `Marketmore 76' and `Tasty Bright' were normal-bitter, and `Marketmore 80' was bitterfree. An additional 11 oriental trellis cultivars were also tested for bitterness to determine whether Tasty Bright was typical in bitterness; they were all normal-bitter. In conclusion, oriental trellis cucumbers are not bitterfree, but are slightly milder for burp-susceptible people to eat. Finally, burpless is the marketing term for oriental trellis cucumbers in the United States.
Growth in juice-based products is supported by an increasing consumer base, which perceives fruit and fruit-based beverages as an integral component of nutritious food types that can benefit health. New flavor combinations, as well as added ingredients (i.e., vitamins) continue to help boost juice appeal as a nutraceutical. New juice-based food products such as blends, jellies, marinades, and pastry fillings could benefit from the unique flavor attributes specific to mayhaw fruit juice. Juice from one cultivar of muscadine grape (Vitisrotundifolia Michx.) `Carlos' (bronze skinned) was mixed with varying levels of juice from one cultivar of mayhaw (Crataegusopaca) `Texas Star' (reddish-orange skinned) fruit. Five different blend combinations were tested for both individual juice quality and for juice-blend compatibility. A consumer preference test was conducted (n = 75) on a 9-point hedonic scale for color, taste, and overall liking. Next to the taste/flavor preference scores for control (6.8), mayhaw juice used as the primary flavor ingredient in blends was the second most preferred of all juices by the panelists. A 50/50 juice blend and 70/30 mayhaw/muscadine blend were the least desirable of the five combinations tested. Juices from 60/40, 30/70, and 40/60 mayhaw/muscadine were considered by the panelists as best in flavor and overall acceptability. “Taste” had the strongest effect on overall acceptability of juice from varying levels of mayhaw juice in combination with muscadine grape juice. Panelists' mean score averages collectively were favorable of 60:40 and 50:50 juice blends and were significant (P < 0.05) toward acceptance of a “mayhaw-muscadine” fruit juice blended drink.
We conducted trials of vine-ripened, staked tomato cultivars in 1998 and 1999 to identify a variety suitable for marketing as a premium “Kentucky Tomato.” Essential qualities of our ideal Kentucky tomato were determined in conversations with marketing specialists at the Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture and merchandising managers from the state's largest supermarket chain. A carefully selected group of 14 varieties (including 10 from the 1998 trial) was evaluated at two locations for yields, returns per acre, appearance, and quality in 1999. New varieties were compared with commercial standards `Mountain Spring' and `Mountain Fresh'. Yields of different sizes and grades of marketable fruit were multiplied by appropriate market prices for a given harvest date and summarized in a single “income per acre” variable for each variety. Although many varieties were in the highest 1999 income group (`Fabulous', `Mountain Spring', `Emperador', `Florida 47', `Sunleaper', `Floralina', `Mountain Fresh', `SunGem', NC 98274, `Enterprise'), not all were acceptable in terms of fruit quality and firmness. `Fabulous' and `Emperador' had higher percentages of fruits with radial cracks at one location in 1999 than in 1998. Consumer taste tests were conducted in 1998 and `Mountain Fresh' and `Floralina' were considered the best tasting among the six varieties tested. `Sunleaper', `Floralina', `SunGem', NC 98274, and `Fabulous' (for local markets) together with `Mountain Fresh' were considered prime `Kentucky Tomato' candidates and were recommended for further testing in farmers' fields in 2000.
Consumers of organic food tend to believe that it tastes better than its conventional counterpart. However, there is a lack of scientific studies on sensory analysis of organic food. A consumer taste test was conducted to compare the acceptability of organically and conventionally grown spinach. Spinach samples were collected from organically and conventionally managed plots at the Kansas State University Research and Extension Center, Olathe. One hundred-twenty-two untrained panelists (80 female and 42 male) participated in this consumer study. Fresh and 1-week-old spinach leaves were evaluated by 60 and 62 consumers, respectively, using a 9-point hedonic scale (9 = like extremely, 5 = neither like nor dislike, 1 = dislike extremely). The ANOVA results showed that fresh organic spinach had a higher preference score than corresponding conventional spinach, although not at a significant level (P = 0.1790). For the 1-week-old spinach, the difference diminished, and instead, conventional spinach had a higher preference rating. Among 61 consumers who made comments regarding the sensory evaluation, 29 claimed that organic spinach was more tasty and flavorful; 19 consumers thought conventional spinach was better; 13 consumers could not tell the difference. Even though this consumer study did not reveal significant differences in consumer preference for organic vs. conventional spinach, further well-designed sensory tests are warranted given the trends indicated in our study. Assessment of sensory attributes of organic vegetables after storage also deserves further attention. Ideally, both consumer tests and descriptive analysis using trained panelists will be considered.
We began trials of vine-ripened, staked tomato cultivars in 1998 to identify a variety suitable for marketing as a premium “Kentucky Tomato”. In conversations with marketing specialists at the Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture and merchandising managers at the Kroger Company's regional distribution center, we identified essential qualities of our ideal Kentucky tomato. A carefully selected group of 16 varieties was evaluated at two locations for yields, appearance, quality, disease tolerance, and taste. New varieties were compared with commercial standards like `Mountain Spring'. Yields of different sizes and grades of marketable fruit were multiplied by appropriate real-market prices for a given harvest date and summarized in a single income-per-acre variable for each variety. Some of the highest yielding varieties in eastern Kentucky (`Fabulous' `Sunbeam') appeared to have some tolerance to early blight; other varieties in this highest-yielding group included `Emperador', `Enterprise', `Sunleaper', and `Sunbrite'. All of these had fruit quality we considered acceptable for commercial markets with the exception of `Sunbrite'. `Fabulous', `Emperador', `Sunleaper', `SunGem', and `Sunpride' were the highest yielding varieties in central Kentucky. `Sunleaper' and `Sunpride' appeared somewhat tolerant to tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), which occurred at this location. Preliminary taste tests identified six varieties that were evaluated further by consumers at a local farmers' market. `Mountain Fresh' and `Floralina' were considered the best tasting varieties overall. The search continues in 1999.
Abstract
Vacuum fumigation at 560 mm Hg for 3 hr with acetaldehyde (Aa) at 1.75% in 70% CO2 killed 100% of western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), on strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.). However, the Aa treated berries were generally detectable in taste tests during the ensuing 3 days. Some panelists could distinguish the different taste of the treated strawberries from control samples even after 7 days. Ethyl formate (EF) in concentrations as low as 0.5% for 1 hr at 30 mm Hg pressure killed 100% of the thrips. EF fumigation affected neither taste nor odor of the berries during a subsequent 9 days of storage at 1°C. Fumigation with Aa in 70% CO2 decreased berry decay by 69%, but EF had no effect on decay. The concentration of EF, which was determined on the day of treatment and during the ensuing 4 days, was 0.2 ppm or lower in the treated strawberries. This concentration did not differ significantly from that in the controls and is at least 100 times less than the odor threshold concentration for EF.
Mature green `Sunbeam' tomato fruit (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) were treated in water for 1 hr at 27 (ambient), 39, 42, 45, or 48°C, and then either ripened at 20°C (nonchilled) or stored at 2°C (chilled) for 14 days before ripening at 20°C. The most-effective heat treatment was 42°C, which reduced decay 67% in chilled fruit and 53% in nonchilled fruit. Heat treatment had no effect on time required to ripen the fruit. Red-ripe tomatoes had higher respiration rates and evolved more ethylene following nonchilling storage, but heat treatment had no effect on respiration or ethylene evolution. Red color development was enhanced by heat treatment, and inhibited by chilling. At red ripe, fruit were firmer as a result of storage at the chilling temperature, while heat treatment had no effect on firmness. Heat-treated fruit were preferred in terms of taste and texture over nontreated fruit in informal taste tests, with the exception of the 45°C treatment. With increasing temperature of heat treatment, there was increased electrolyte leakage following chilling storage. Of the 15 flavor volatiles analyzed, the levels of five were decreased with increasing temperature of heat treatment. Storage at the chilling temperature reduced the levels of six flavor volatiles. Prestorage heat treatments can reduce decay with only minimal adverse effects on tomato fruit quality.
Abstract
The relationship of ground color to maturity was examined for 13 cultivars of peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]. Samples representing a range in maturity for each cultivar were tested for flesh firmness and surface ground color at harvest. After ripening, the same lots of peaches were measured for ground color, soluble solids, titratable acid, taste, and visual appearance. Color was measured with a colorimeter in Hunter “L”, “a”, and “b” color coordinates and compared with a series of color references. Peaches selected as being of threshold maturity at harvest, based on taste ratings and firmness, showed average ground color readings of L = 61.2, a = −5.4, and b = 26.8, with results for individual cultivars narrowly distributed in this region of color space. Differences in ground color for varying maturities occurred primarily in the “a” coordinate, which increased as maturity advanced. On average, ground color was a better at-harvest indicator of edible quality after ripening than flesh firmness. Color references used for grading in California did not match actual ground color measurements for peaches grown in South Carolina.
Carrots cv. `Nantes' were grown on a Rugbee soil type which was treated before planting with 1, 5, and 10 MT/ha of moose manure (MM). Each treatment was replicated five times and compared to the standard practice (SP) of 500 kg/ha 10-10-10 fertilizer. No pesticides were used. Yields were difficult to obtain because of bear vandalism. At harvest 10 kg. samples of each were washed and blended in a food processor. A taste panel of 12 members evaluated a 10 ml. sample in a white paper cup. Each panelist was blindfolded because samples differed in color. 98% of the panel members found the MM carrots to have a distinct taste and preferred them over SP carrots. Two weeks after the test 76% of the panel had a craving for wild oats. Carrots from the treatments were held in underground storage for 5 months. To complete the biology cycle an attempt was made to feed the stored treatment carrots to the moose but they would eat only the SP carrots. For samples of the MM carrots contact Bill Miller, Program Co-Chairman, The first person to respond will receive a certificate for a free meal at the Sizzler on Congress Street.
Flowers are traditionally used to flavor and garnish dishes. There are many different varieties of edible flowers such as daylilies (Hemerocallis sp.). Daylilies come in many varieties and colors. Their blooms and buds are tasty and nutritious. The objective of this study was to indicate most preferred to least preferred among 15 daylily cultivars (Gentle Shepherd, Lavender Doll, Siloam Powder Pink, Aztec Gold, Rosie Meyers, Catherine Woodberry, Pink Charm, Virginia Henson, Lemon Yellow, Joan Senior, Along the Way, Border Baby, Bonanza, Pandora's Box, and Apricot Beauty). A consumer panel was conducted evaluating the taste preference of fifteen participants to an assortment of daylilies. Panelists were associated with Mississippi State Univ.. Each panelist received 15 different daylily blooms. The ranking methods and analysis of variance were used to determine the preference. The questionnaire for ranking given to each panelist stated to “Please taste each numbered sample and rank in order of preference with the first being most preferred and last being least preferred and to provide comments.” Among the 15 daylilies tested, Rosie Meyer was the most preferred, followed by a second group that consisted of Lavender Doll, Jones Senior, and Aztec Gold. The third most preferred group consisted of two, Gentle Shepherd and Along the Way. The preference for the remainder tapered off with the last two samples, Bonanza and Border Baby. These results suggest that of the 15 daylily varieties, Border Baby and Bonanza were statistically non-preferred with no daylily being statistically preferred.