The composition of cherry tomatoes and its relation to consumer acceptability

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Cherry tomatoes are being grown on an increased scale in the UK, and they are distinguished by bearing long trusses of small fruit that have excellent flavour potential. Samples of six cultivars of cherry types were analysed for a wide range of physical and chemical attributes to compare traditional lines with newer selections. In a second season, the analyses were repeated with a slightly different assortment of lines, and sensory tests were carried out to see how far composition was linked with flavour. Informal tests involved participants being asked to rank the cultivars in order of acceptability; those with a balanced sugar-acid ratio were preferred. A trained sensory panel examined the characteristics of texture and flavour of cherry and large-fruited tomatoes on a linear measurement scale. Within the cherry group, 84 FL 1 had high scores in many characteristics; Principal Component Analysis differentiated Tiny Tim from other cherry types. Consumers are likely to be able to differentiate between various cherry cultivars, although the major chemical taste components are fairly similar in concentration. The precise nutritional regime imposed on a cherry plant is likely to alter the taste and flavour of the fruit just as much as the identity of the genotype being grown.