Quality characteristics of strawberry genotypes at different maturation stages

The chemical composition and quality characteristics of nine promising hybrids and two varieties (Osmanli and Camarosa) of strawberries were evaluated for their quality attributes during ripening. Main soluble sugars, carboxylic acids, organic acids and ascorbic acid of experimental varieties were separated, identified and quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array spectroscopic and refractive index detections. Titratable acidity (TA), pH, total soluble solids (TSS) and TSS/TA ratio and their correlations were determined at ripe maturation stages for the 11 genotypes. Hybrid no. 11, a new strawberry cultivar, had desired fruit quality characteristics similar to Osmanli, which has a pleasant taste and is popular in Turkey. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.