Evaluation of Textural Properties in Apples of Regional Varieties

Regional varieties of apples present an endogenous patrimony that should be preserved and promoted to guarantee biodiversity of genetic resources. In the present work, Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) was performed to apples of fourteen different regional varieties, having in consideration the spatial geometry of the fruits, and the textural parameters: hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, cohesiveness, and chewiness were assessed. The samples to perform the TPA's were obtained from different locations in the fruit-external and internal-and considering axial and radial orientations. The results of these analysis performed allowed us to conclude that the apples from regional varieties showed different textural properties among themselves. Furthermore, it was generally observed that hardness does not vary much according to the internal or external location of the sample, but varies quite significantly according to the orientation, being generally higher for the axial measurements. From the present work, it was possible to conclude that, in terms of textural properties, the varieties studied showed important differences.