Prediction of sensory quality of strawberry jam by means of sensory quality attributes of fresh fruits

Sensory analysis was performed on fresh fruits, frozen non-cooked jam and traditionally cooked jam of 14 strawberry cultivars. The purpose was to characterise and compare the sensory quality of different strawberry cultivars and different types of jam. The results of the investigation were presented by means of multivariate modelling methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLS). The sensory profile of cooked jam differed from that of fresh fruits and frozen jam, explaining 75% of the total variation in the first component. Cooked jam scored high for sweet taste, stickiness, bitter taste, earthy flavour, off-flavour and total intensity of taste. Frozen jam had many of the same sensory characteristics as fresh fruits and scored high for strawberry flavour, fruity flavour and whiteness, while fresh fruits scored highest for colour strength, hue and sour taste. As analysed by means of PLS, sensory colour and flavour variables of fresh fruits were able to predict 35% of sensory cooked jam variables. Analysing early cultivars alone, sensory fresh fruit variables were able to predict 69% of sensory cooked jam variables. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry