title: Crop load and harvest maturity effects on consumer preferences for apricots.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Improving apricot fruit quality delivered to consumers is key to ensuring a successful apricot industry. Previous studies have focused on effects of either soluble solids content (SSC) or fruit firmness on consumer preferences, and results have been equivocal. This study evaluated the effects of crop load and harvest maturity how they affected on fruit SSC and firmness, and on subsequent consumer preferences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SSC of apricots was an important factor only when fruit were firmer than 15 N and not immature. When fruit were softer than 15 N, SSC had little influence on consumer liking. In general, consumers preferred fruit that were grown on trees thinned to approximately 10-20% less than typical commercial crop loads and were harvested in a more mature condition. Consumers also preferred fruit that had a higher sugar/acid ratio or BrimA value, which is the °Brix - k × titratable acidity, where k is a constant that varies between species and cultivars depending on the specific acids and sugars present. High apricot flavour and juiciness were associated with greater sweetness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Management practices that increase fruit SSC and sugar/acid ratio, such as reducing crop load, will improve consumer satisfaction as long as fruit are harvested at an adequate maturity stage and are maintained in storage so that they do not soften too quickly.
authors: School of Natural Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, 4111, Australia; The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd, Alexandra, 9391, New Zealand.
authors: Jill
authors: J
authors: Stanley
authors: Jinquan
authors: J
authors: Feng
authors: Shane
authors: S
authors: Olsson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000379:methods*; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D063427:Food Quality; D061353:Food Storage; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010865:Pilot Projects; D027861:Prunus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D013045:Species Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019422:Dietary Sucrose
keywords: Prunus armeniaca L; consumer preferences; crop load; flesh firmness; fruit maturity; soluble solids content