"Acidity of Honeycrisp – Key to Eating Quality and Competitiveness of Northeastern Apple Growers"

Commodities

• Fruits: apples

Practices

• Education and Training: on-farm/ranch research

Consumers have complained about ‘bland’ Honeycrisp apples,
limiting expansion of the variety in a highly competitive apple
market. Limited research in WA has shown that higher acidity at
harvest will result in better flavor after storage. In this
study, we will sample fruit from a range of orchard blocks and
separate them into low, medium and high acidity categories. At
least three orchard blocks will be used per category. Acidity
will be measured two ways – 1. The formal titratable acidity
measurement that is time consuming, and 2. A newly acquired
acidity meter that can assess samples quickly. In addition, fruit
at harvest will also be treated or not treated with an inhibitor
of ethylene production that slows down the rate fruit ripening.
The fruit will be stored at the standard storage temperature of
38^oF for up to 90 days. Changes of acidity in fruit
from each of these categories will be measured at 30-day
intervals during storage. Quality as well as informal and formal
sensory evaluations (appearance, texture, mouth feel, juiciness,
and overall acceptability) will be assessed after 90 days of
storage.  Formal analyses will be carried out in Ithaca,
while informal analyses will be carried out with growers and
storage operators. If the higher acidity fruit has superior
quality to the other two groups, outreach will consist of
recommendations to initiate similar testing in other HC-growing
regions outside of Western NY. Following confirmation of similar
findings, this information will be shared in fruit industry
conferences and extension publications.

This project seeks to measure the acidity of Honeycrisp and
correlate high acid levels at harvest with very good to excellent
eating quality after storage. In this study, we will sample fruit
from a range of orchard blocks and separate them into low, medium
and high acidity categories. At least three orchard blocks will
be used per category. Acidity will be measured two ways – 1. The
formal titratable acidity measurement that is time consuming, and
2. A newly acquired acidity meter that can assess samples
quickly. In addition, fruit at harvest will also be treated or
not treated with an inhibitor of ethylene production that slows
down the rate fruit ripening. The fruit will be stored at the
standard storage temperature of 38^oF for up to 90
days. Changes of acidity in fruit from each of these categories
will be measured at 30-day intervals during storage. Quality as
well as informal and formal sensory evaluations (appearance,
texture, mouth feel, juiciness, and overall acceptability) will
be assessed after 90 days of storage. Outreach will consist of
recommendations in fruit industry conferences and extension
publications.