Festival, the main cultivar grown by the large commercial strawberry farms in Florida, produces firm, attractive fruit, which are flavorful if harvested fully mature. Extending the commercial season into the month of March would close the gap with strawberries produced in more temperate areas. Strawberry is second only to citrus ( Citrus L.) as a fruit crop of importance to Florida with Florida being the principal supplier of fresh strawberries to eastern and midwestern United States during December, January, and February. Additionally, aldehydes and alcohols such as n-hexanal, ( Z)-3-hexenal, and ( E)-2-hexenal are responsible for green and pungent notes ( Schieberle and Hofmann, 1997 Schulbach et al., 2004). Furanones (furaneol and mesifurane) are also contributors to aroma providing sweet caramel-like notes ( Larsen and Poll, 1992 Pérez et al., 1996 Sanz et al., 1994). Among them, methyl and ethyl butanoates, methyl and ethyl hexanoates, and ethyl 2-methyl butanoate are often mentioned as active aroma compounds in strawberry. Esters are known to be important contributors to typical strawberry aroma ( Gomes da Silva and Chaves das Neves, 1999 Larsen and Poll, 1992 Pérez et al., 1992 Schieberle and Hofmann, 1997). (2007) showed that the intense aroma of wild species was associated with their high ester and terpene contents. The influence of volatile compounds on the flavor quality of the strawberry was widely studied, and among the hundreds of volatiles identified in fresh strawberry, only a small portion contribute to aroma ( Dirinck et al., 1981 Larsen and Poll, 1992 Pérez et al., 1992 Ulrich et al., 1997). (2005) reported that consumer preference for some California strawberries was related to higher sugar and volatile contents. (1997) showed a correlation between the overall sensory quality of some California cultivars and the sugars/acid ratio in maturing fruit. Sugar and volatile contents were found to be important biochemical components that influence consumer acceptance. Some authors have investigated the relationship between sensory quality attributes and instrumental analysis ( Hoberg and Ulrich, 2000 Pelayo et al., 2003 Pelayo-Zaldívar et al., 2005 Schulbach et al., 2004 Shamaila et al., 1992 Ulrich et al., 1997 Wozniak et al., 1997). The sensory quality of strawberry is the result of a complex balance among sweetness, aroma, texture, and appearance. Keywords: cultivars taste panels volatiles flavor soluble solids titratable acidity This selection maintained high volatile content and SSC throughout the seasons, explaining consistently high flavor ratings. Chemical composition was mainly influenced by harvest date, except for FL 00-51. A principal component analysis was performed with chemical parameters (SSC, TA, and volatile content) and selections over the two harvest seasons. It was perceived as having an artificial peach- or blueberry-like flavor.

This cultivar contained between seven and 40 times less total ester content than the other selections and was disliked by panelists despite its high sugar content and perceived sweetness. Volatile compounds that varied only quantitatively did not seem to influence the flavor rating except for ‘Sugarbaby’. Instrumental analysis confirmed that typically these selections had low soluble solids content (SSC) and/or high titratable acidity (TA), thus explaining their lack of sweetness. Genotypes with low flavor ratings were always judged as “not sweet enough” by the panelists, thus linking flavor to sweetness preference. Selection FL 00-51 and ‘Rubygem’ had relatively high and consistent ratings for flavor and sweetness compared with the other selections. Festival, the main strawberry cultivar grown in Florida, had low ratings for flavor and sweetness in January and March.

Five selections and one cultivar of the University of Florida Breeding program as well as two new cultivars from Australia (Rubygem and Sugarbaby) harvested on different dates from the same grower were evaluated by sensory evaluation. The aim of this study was to understand the flavor components of eating quality of several strawberry ( Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) genotypes grown in Florida over two harvest seasons.

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