DYNAMIC ELASTIC PROPERTIES AND SENSORY QUALITY OF APPLE FRUIT

Abstract

A nondestructive resonance technique for measuring the textural qualities of apple fruit was evaluated. The resonance frequency, f, and the mass, m, were measured on each intact fruit, and a factor, f² m, was computed. This resonance factor, f² m, directly reflected the elastic properties of the fruit flesh and correlated significantly with sensory judgements of apple firmness during harvest. The dynamic resonance test is not as reliable an index of sensory firmness as the pressure test, but it has the advantage of being nondestructive.