Evaluation of selected cider apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) cultivars grown in Ontario. II. Juice attributes

Abstract

Twenty-eight apple cultivars were selected for their potential for hard cider production in Ontario; their juice characteristics were measured in 2017 and 2018, beginning two years after planting in 2015. After being harvested and pressed, each juice sample underwent analyses to determine soluble solids concentration (SSC), titratable acidity (TA), pH, yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN), and polyphenolic concentration. Soluble solids concentration ranged from 10.6 °Brix in Brown’s Apple to 18.3 °Brix in Ashmead’s Kernel. Titratable acidity ranged from 31 as mg malic acid per 100 mL juice in Sweet Alford to 191 as mg malic acid per 100 mL juice in Bramley’s Seedling. The pH ranged from 2.88 in Breakwell to 4.76 in Sweet Alford. Yeast assimilable nitrogen concentration ranged from 60 mg YAN·L−1 juice in Medaille d’Or to 256 mg YAN·L−1 juice in Bulmer’s Norman. Polyphenols in juice ranged from 131 μg gallic acid equivalents (gae)·mL−1 juice in Tolman Sweet to 1042 μg gae·mL−1 juice in Stoke Red. Firmness ranged from 6.3 kg in Yarlington Mill to 11.7 kg in GoldRush. The relationships between these variables were also analyzed, showing a connection between acidity and juicing efficiency as well as a relationship between polyphenol concentration and fruit weight. Exploratory analyses indicated that juice attributes can be used to distinguish between cultivars and their origins. Cider producers can use these data to determine what to expect in juice from these cultivars.