Maine wildfiesh bluebem'es were purchasedfiom a cooperative twice (tests I and 2) during the 1997field season and used to determine the relationship of consumer preference and textural properties. Berry diameter was used to establish 3 size classes and a consumer panel evaluated teaspoon-sized samples and indicated their opinion offlavor, texture and overall qualily attributes using a 9-point hedonic scale. Rankedprejierence for sue was conducted in a separate area following the acceptability evaluation. At the same time the consumer samples were drawn, three berries were subsampled and subjected to a compression test.Two replications of the test were made to evaluate texture/sensory interactions of Maine wild bluebem'es throughout the harvest period; test 1, one week into the four-week harvest. Based on sue class, there were no significant differences in acceptability attributes; however, differences were detected in the mechanical tests. Slight diflerences in consumer preference were detected in test 2, which took place three weeks into the harvest cycle, and signijkant diflerences were also found in the mechanical tests. Differences between test 1 and 2 can be attributed to bluebeny maturity, These results compare with previously published data on Maine wild blueberries.Publication number 2229 of the Maine Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, Orono. Maine 04469.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.