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Title: SENSORY AND ANALYTICAL ANALYSES OF FRUIT QUALITY CONSTITUENTS OF FRESH-CUT ORANGE- AND GREEN-FLESHED HONEYDEWS AND ORANGE-FLESHED CANTALOUPE

Author
item Saftner, Robert
item Abbott, Judith
item Lester, Gene

Submitted to: HortScience
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/29/2004
Publication Date: 7/18/2004
Citation: Saftner, R.A., Abbott, J.A., Lester, G.E. Sensory and analytical analyses of fruit quality constituents of fresh-cut orange- and green-fleshed honeydews and orange-fleshed cantaloupe. Hortscience. 2004. V. 39. P. 806.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: New fresh-cut melon products prepared from orange-fleshed honeydews have recently become available in retail markets. We compared fresh-cut chunks of orange-fleshed honeydew ('Temptation' and four breeding lines), green-fleshed honeydew ('Honey Brew'), and cantaloupe ('Cruiser'). All genotypes had similar respiration and ethylene production rates and soluble solids contents. Five hundred untrained consumers preferred the flavor, texture, and overall eating quality of the orange honeydews to the green cultivar, with 'Temptation' scoring highest. 'Temptation' chunks were less firm at the time of processing and after 12 days storage than chunks prepared from all other genotypes. The color of orange-fleshed honeydew chunks was intermediate between that of cantaloupe and green-fleshed honeydew and the color was maintained during 12 days storage. Total aromatic volatiles from juice extracts of orange-fleshed honeydew chunks was 1.2 to 4.7 times higher than that of green-fleshed honeydew extracts and volatiles from cantaloupe was > 4.8 fold greater than extracts from 'Temptation' and > 9.3 fold higher than that of other honeydew extracts. Many individual volatiles were identical in cantaloupe and honeydews; however, honeydew genotypes, particularly the orange-pigmented types, were distinctive from cantaloupe in having relatively high levels of various nonenyl and nonadienyl acetates of uncharacterized aromas. The results indicate that 'Temptation' and other orange-fleshed honeydews are a promising new melon type for fresh-cut processing.