Martine Deschênes

Evaluation of the Drip Loss of 30 Cultivars and 9 Advanced Selections from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada National Strawberry Breeding Program

Abstract Fruits of thirty-nine strawberry genotypes were evaluated for their freezing performance based on their drip loss percentage. The amount juice lost was evaluated for each genotype after four months of storage (at — 20°C) upon thawing at 20°C for 20 hr. A preliminary selection based on the drip loss method or exudation enabled us to eliminate genotypes that are the least interesting from a freezing standpoint and to focus our efforts on those with a high processing potential. ‘NY1529’, ‘Scott’, ‘Arking’, ‘SJ8317-5’ and ‘SJ83145-1’ with less than 30% juice loss seems suitable for jam, yogurt and frozen food production. On the other hand, with more than 60% juice loss, ‘Tenira’, ‘Primela’ and ‘Splendida’ seem less desirable for processing.