Sensory Attributes and Volatile Components of Stored Strawberry Juice

ABSTRACT Juices from three strawberry cultivars were stored at 2°C and 25°C for 6 wk and evaluated for the sensory attributes fresh strawberry, strawberry‐jam, off‐flavor, green, and sweet. Fresh flavor declined while off‐flavor increased during storage, with the largest changes occurring at 25°C. Juice color and ascorbic acid also degraded much faster at 25°C. Fifteen volatiles were measured using headspace solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography. 2,5‐dimethyl‐4‐hydroxy‐3(2H)‐furanone and 2,5‐dimethyl‐4‐methoxy‐3(2H)‐furanone were positively related to fresh flavor and negatively related to off‐flavor, while ‐terpineol was inversely related to fresh flavor. These volatiles explained almost 90% of the variation for fresh and off‐flavor attributes.