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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Citrus and Other Subtropical Products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279292
Title: Sensory evaluation of tangerine hybrids at multiple harvests

Author
item Plotto, Anne
item Baldwin, Elizabeth - Liz
item McCollum, Thomas
item GMITTER, FREDERICK - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/9/2012
Publication Date: 12/31/2011
Citation: Plotto, A., Baldwin, E.A., Mccollum, T.G., Gmitter, F. 2011. Sensory evaluation of tangerine hybrids at multiple harvests. Proceedings of Florida State Horticultural Society. 124:260-263.

Interpretive Summary: Increasing tangerine consumption has prompted the release of new varieties by the University of Florida and USDA,ARS. This study reports eating quality and flavor of 10 tangerine hybrids, already commercialized or close to be released. The information is useful to growers and packers who want to make informed decision about planting new tangerine cultivars.

Technical Abstract: The University of Florida and USDA/ARS have active citrus scion breeding programs. Hybrids that pass many selection steps and approach release are evaluated for horticultural traits and postharvest characteristics. Seven advanced selections and three commercial cultivars were harvested multiple times from research sites in Lake Alfred and Leesburg, FL. A panel of 10 members was trained to evaluate citrus fruit and reached an agreement for ten descriptors of fresh tangerines. Fruit were washed, sanitized, peeled, and halved longitudinally so that one half of each fruit was evaluated by the taste panel, and the other half was analyzed for quality parameters (total soluble solids and titratable acidity). Segments of each half fruit were then separated, cut in half, and placed in a fruit bowl to assure that each panelist would evaluate a sample composed of multiple fruits. Half segments (about 10) were served in 4oz plastic cups, together with reference standards for sensory evaluation. In general, panelists could perceive increased ripeness as distinct from increased sweetness, and decreased sourness paralleled with decreased bitterness. For most selections, juiciness decreased with maturity, except for ‘Murcott’ and its low seed mutant. There were no specific trends for tangerine, fruit and floral flavors due to harvest maturity; however, sulfury and pumpkin/spicy flavors increased with maturity for some selections, and may be an indicator for over-ripe fruit. ‘Temple’ remained stable over harvest times, with more orange than tangerine flavor.