2018 ASHS Annual Conference
Analysis of the Diversity of Flavor Compounds Present in a Collection of Appalachian Cider Apple Varieties
Analysis of the Diversity of Flavor Compounds Present in a Collection of Appalachian Cider Apple Varieties
Thursday, August 2, 2018
International Ballroom East/Center (Washington Hilton)
The cultivation and production of apples has a long history and significant economic impact in West Virginia and the Appalachian region. However, it is notable that total apple production in West Virginia, in particular of table and sauce apples, has declined steadily in the last decades. In contrast, the hard cider industry is growing rapidly nationally as well as in West Virginia and its neighboring states. Although hard ciders were among the most popular and common alcoholic beverages in colonial America, the recent renaissance in craft cider in the US has led to a dramatic increase in the demand for cider apples, and also revealed a lack of information available to assist cider apple growers and the cider industry. Cider apple varieties are distinctively different from table and sauce apples, typically possessing high polyphenol and/or acid content, as well as other unique flavors. The supply of locally grown cider apples is momentarily often quite limited, and the selection of the best blend of cider apple varieties and a sufficient supply of these cider apples is one of the biggest challenges to expanding the cider industry in West Virginia and the Appalachian region, as well as nationally. The formation and different content of malic acid (responsible for sharpness) and polyphenols (responsible for bitterness), two important sensory characteristics of cider, have been analyzed extensively in an array of cider apple varieties. However, the blend and diversity of flavor compounds, also know as volatile organic compounds, found in apple varieties with potential for hard cider production has not been studied in detail yet. We will present first results from our analysis of flavor compounds in fruits and juice from a collection of cider apple varieties found in the Appalachian region.