2012 Volume 11 Issue 3 Pages 371-378
The influence of the fruiting position in the canopy on qualities of processed Japanese apricot liqueur (ume liqueur) of ‘Nanko’ Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) was investigated for 4 years. Contents of citric acid and sorbitol in ume liqueur tended to be higher as the harvest time of processed fruit prolonged, and there were also no differences in them between ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner and outer sides of the canopy, when they were compared at the same stage, at the beginning of harvest. However, the phenolic content and antioxidant activity in ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner side of the canopy tended to be higher as the harvest time of processed fruit prolonged, and ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner side of the canopy tended to show higher contents than that made from fruit on the outer side of the canopy, when they were compared at the same stage, at the beginning of harvest. Contents of prunasin, causing bitterness, and ethyl benzoate, exhibiting immature flavors, in ume liqueur tended to be lower as the harvest time of processed fruit prolonged, and there were no differences in them between ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner and outer sides of the canopy, when they were compared at the same stage, at the beginning of harvest. Ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner side of the canopy tended to have less aroma components, such as γ-decalactone, δ-decalactone, and ethyl butyrate, than that made from fruit on the outer side of the canopy at the ripening stage. These results indicate that delaying the harvest time of fruit on the inner side of the canopy for about 7 days makes some functional and bitter components in ume liqueur equal to those made from fruit on the outer side of the canopy, and makes their phenolic content and antioxidant activity higher than that made from fruit on the outer side, and ume liqueur made from fruit on the inner side is poorer in the content of aroma components than that made from fruit on the outer side in cases of making fruity ume liqueur from fruit at the ripening stage.
