Sensory evaluation of jams made from three eastern thornless and Marion blackberries

Jams were produced from fruit of eastern thornless blackberries (Black Satin, Chester, Hull Thornless, and Thornfree cultivars) harvested by hand or machine, of a blend of imported fruit from Yugoslavia and Mexico, and of Marion blackberries from Oregon. Jams were evaluated by 12 trained panelists for color, spreadability, consistency, sweetness, blackberry flavor, off-flavor, and seediness. Jams made from hand-harvested Marion, and Black Satin were the most red-purple in color. Machine-harvested Chester fruit yielded the firmest jam and was among the jams rated with the thickest mouthfeel. Jams of hand-harvested Thornfree and Black Satin fruit were rated sweetest. No differences were noted among cultivars in seediness or blackberry flavor. Jam of Marion, Black Satin, and Chester fruit had less off-flavor than the imported fruit blend and Thornfree; however, the intensity of off-flavor was scored low in all jams. Jams made from hand-harvested blackberries were less seedy and had more intense blackberry flavor than machine-harvested fruit