Flavor compound of strawberry fruit

Fruit flavor is a key characteristic for consumer acceptability and fresh strawberries are valued for their characteristic red color, juicy texture, distinct aroma, and sweet fruity flavor.

The flavor substances of strawberries, especially the volatile compounds, have been studied extensively. The exact composition of a strawberry may vary between cultivars, growth, storage conditions and years.

In the literature, more than 360 volatile compounds were reported. As well as sugars and acids about 15–20 volatile compounds are important for sensory perception. Only a limited number of compounds have been made responsible for the formation of the typical, very pleasant flavor.

Particular esters, terpenes, and furans have the most significant fits to strawberry flavor intensity. In total, thirty-one volatile compounds are found to be significantly correlated to strawberry flavor intensity.

Analysis of the aroma value (the ratio of compound concentration to odor threshold) has indicated that less than 20 compounds contribute significantly to strawberry flavor. Esters, formed by esterification of alcohols and acyl-CoA, constitute the largest and one of the most important groups contributing to the fruity and floral notes and they comprise from 25% to 90% of the total volatiles in fresh ripe fruit.

Terpenes, which include linalool, nerolidol, terpineol, or a-pinene, constitute the other important group, providing pleasant citrus and spicy notes and reaching up to 20% of total fruit volatiles in some cultivars of strawberry. Terpenes normally comprise less than10% of strawberry volatiles and sulphur compounds less than 2%.

Other compounds considered important for strawberry flavor are hexanal, (Z)-3-hexenal, 2-heptanone, and g-decalactone, the latter being a noteworthy cultivar-specific compound conferring peach (Prunus persica)-like flavor to strawberry fruit.

Sweet and sour are the major non-volatile flavor components in strawberry. 75% of the carbohydrate (about 6% of the berry weight) in strawberries is sugar: sucrose, glucose and fructose.
Flavor compound of strawberry fruit

Production of strawberry wine

Fruit wines are generally prepared by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) fermentation of sugared juices or diluted concentrates. Fruit wines volatiles include aroma compounds at are already present in the fresh fruit and remain unchanged during processing and aging.

Strawberry wine of good quality has the appealing color of premium rose wine. When frozen berries are employed to make wine, these are first thawed and the juice is extracted.

The juice is ameliorated to 22 °Brix by the addition of cane-sugar added in stages e.g. 25% of the total sugar added to prepare the must and the rest during fermentation.

Sweetening before aging preserves flavor and color but the sweetened wine must be stored under refrigeration to prevent refermentation.

Strawberry wine is difficult to filter. Addition of a peptic enzyme would be desirable with this variety. Treatment with enzymes mainly pectinases, inhibits polymerization and increases color extraction and color density in strawberry wine.

The composition and maturity of the fruits and mold contamination affect the quality of the wine. But over-ripe fruits with higher anthocyanins and total phenolics, give wines with better color than fully ripe fruits.
Production of strawberry wine

History of strawberry

Strawberry is a perennial plant which belongs to the family Rosaceae. The genus name, Fragaria, comes from the Latin fraga, referring to the scent of the berry.

The species was probably first cultivated by the Romans. Archeologists have found seeds dating from Neolithic, Roman and medieval remains.

It was probably first domesticated in Belgium, France and Germany in the 15th to 17th centuries.

In 1714, a Frenchman named Amedee Francois Frezier returned from duty in Peru and Chile with five plants of Fragaria chiloensis, a large-fruited species native to coastal areas of South America.

He introduced the species into garden in Brest France where F. virginiana was being cultivated. Chance hybridization occurred, and soon the strawberry industry was borne.

French botanist Antoine Duchesne published a book in 1766 detailing the origin of the pineapple strawberry.

Amateur breeders in Europe made controlled crosses and selected several cultivars that finally made their way to United States.

Native American strawberries were enjoyed by early settlers in the eastern United States and in the early 1800s, Fragaria x ananassa cultivars were brought to America from Europe. The ‘x’ denotes a hybrid origin.

Until about 1850, which is when commercial cultivation began, early settlers relied on native species and plants imported from Europe.

At present, the garden strawberry is by far the most important strawberry, it is grown extensively in temperature and subtropical countries.

History of strawberry