Sweet cherry flavor is largely determined by a balance between sugar and acid content with little effect by volatile compounds
In this study, SSC did not change but TA content decreased significantly in ‘Lapins’ and ‘Skeena’ during cold storage. Therefore, the flavor loss in these cultivars is mainly due to a decline in fruit acid content, which is in agreement with the
findings in other cherry cultivars
This study indicates that MAP with appropriate gas compositions such as MAP2 with O2 6.5–7.5% + CO2 8.0–10.0% can slow down TA loss and therefore maintain characteristic cherry flavor of the late season cultivars for 4–6 weeks at 0 C.
The result is in agreement with the report of Meheriuk et al., (1997) in that the storage life of ‘Sweetheart’ cherries was extended up to 4 weeks in O2 4.6% + CO2 10% or O2 6.6% + CO2 3.5% at 0 C. In contrast, MAP1 having higher
gas permeability with O2 12.0–13.5% + CO2 5.0–7.0% had little effect on TA loss, which is consistent with MAP with O2 9–10% + CO2 7–8% which did not retard TA loss of ‘Lapins’ at 3 C
On the other hand, MAP3 with O2 0.5–1.5% + CO2 10% O2 maintained higher TA but generated fermentative off-flavor after 4 and 6 weeks in ‘Lapins’ and ‘Skeena’. Meheriuk et al., (1997) reported that ‘Lapins’ in 0.8% O2 + 4.5% CO2 accumulated ethanol after 6 weeks but the fermentative off-flavor was detected after 8 weeks at 0 C.