Sensory and Composition Attributes of Arkansas Blackberry Cultivars

Fresh blackberries (Rubus subgenus Rubus) are consumed worldwide for commercial markets, but there is limited information on commercial sensory attributes. Fresh blackberry cultivars (Natchez, Osage, Ouachita, Prime-Ark^® 45, and Prime-Ark^® Traveler) were harvested in 2014 at the shiny black stage of maturity from the University of Arkansas Fruit Research Station, Clarksville. The initial composition of the blackberries were measured, and average berry weights ranged from 7.3 (‘Osage’) to 14.3 g (‘Natchez’), soluble solids from 8.9 (‘Osage’) to 10.6% (‘Ouachita’), and titratable acidity of 0.7 (‘Ouachita’) to 1.0% (‘Natchez’). A trained descriptive panel (n=9) and a consumer panel (n=74) evaluated sensory attributes of these cultivars. The descriptive panel evaluated fresh blackberry attributes including appearance (size of berry and glossiness), basic tastes (sweet, sour, and bitter), overall aromatics, and firmness using a 15-point scale (0=less and 15=more of the attribute). The consumer panel evaluated appearance, size, shape, color, overall impression, overall flavor, and firmness of fresh blackberries on a 9-point verbal hedonic scale (1=“extremely dislike”; 9=“like extremely”). The descriptive panel identified ‘Natchez’ as the largest, glossiest, sweetest, and most aromatic cultivar.  ‘Osage’ was the smallest and least aromatic, ‘Prime-Ark^® 45’ was the least glossy, sweet, and firm, and ‘Prime-Ark^® Traveler’ was the least bitter.  Descriptive panelists found no differences in sourness.  ‘Ouachita’ and ‘Osage' were the firmest and most bitter. Consumer panelists “liked” all attributes (6.4 to 7.9 on a 9-point scale) measured among the cultivars evaluated.  There was no difference in the “liking” for shape, color, or firmness of the cultivars.  ‘Prime-Ark^® Traveler’ had the highest liking scores for appearance, size, overall impression, and overall flavor. For appearance and size, the least-liked cultivars were ‘Ouachita’ and ‘Natchez’, respectively.  ‘Natchez’, a 14.3 g berry with soluble solids of 10.0% and titratable acidity of 1.0%, had some of the highest descriptive attributes, but ‘Prime-Ark^® Traveler’, a 9.0 g berry with a 9.0% soluble solids and 0.9% titratable acidity was the most liked by the consumers.  Identifying the key sensory attributes for blackberries can be used to determine commercial potential.