Sensory and instrumental analysis of selected cultivars of apples from organic and conventional production.

The aim of the study was to compare the sensory quality and selected physicochemical attributes of apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) from the organic and conventional production. Three-year studies were conducted on the following apple cultivars: Red Boskoop, Lobo and Janagold coming from three pairs of orchards. The sensory values of the organic apples were mostly similar and only in some cases higher compared to the conventional ones: juiciness in Lobo cultivar and hardness in Jonagold cultivar. Also in the consumer evaluation organic Lobo fruits had higher overall palatability compared to the conventional apples. The organically grown apples showed higher content of soluble solids, total sugars and reduced sugars in comparison to the apples from the conventional orchards. The physiochemical parameters of fruits varied depending on the cultivar. The highest content of soluble solids, total sugars, reduced sugars and organic acids were found for Red Boskoop cultivar, whereas Jonagold cultivar had the highest firmness and the ratio of total sugars to organic acids. The organic apples as having better nutritional value and comparable sensory quality should be recommended to be consumed daily.