Thermal Degradation of Texture in Apples

Thermal degradation of texture in Cortland and Spigold varieties of apples was studied using instrumental Texture Profile Analysis. The loss of hardness was modeled as a first order reaction and the activation energy was found to be 26.5 kcal/mole and 15.6 kcal/mole for Cortland and Spigold, respectively. The z value for the loss of hardness was found to be 24.8°C and 42.2°C, respectively, for Cortland and Spigold. The temperature of processing was found to significantly change hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness in both the varieties. In the case of Spigold, time of processing was found to significantly affect hardness and cohesiveness. And in the case of Cortland, time of processing was found to significantly change hardness, springiness and chewiness.