Determining sweet cherry flavour retention for export markets

Research Brief Publication Date: February 23, 2026

Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Researchers:

K. A. Ross, N. C. DeLury, L. Fukumoto, and J. A. Forsyth

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Determining sweet cherry flavour retention for export markets

Introduction

This research was conducted to address a key challenge faced by British Columbian (BC) cherry growers in maintaining fruit quality for export markets. Since sweet cherries can sometimes spend up to 28 days in container shipment, preserving their quality during long-distance transport is essential to meet international market demands and maintain Canada’s reputation for premium fruit.

Traditionally, colour is used as the main indicator of fruit maturity. However, some growers have found that even when cherries arrive with good colour, firmness, and stem pull, their flavour sometimes falls flat.

To address this issue, we investigated whether other indicators of fruit maturity (such as dry matter, soluble solids, and acidity) could better predict flavour retention after 28 days of cold storage at 0.5°C and 3 °C, simulating ideal and non-ideal overseas shipping conditions, respectively. The results from this study can help growers determine the best time to harvest for optimal flavour in cherries going to export markets.

Staccato cherries at colour level 5-6. Photo by N. DeLury, AAFC.

About this Brief

This brief was prepared by Juliana Cao from the BC Food Web team, with the help of Kelly Ross and Naomi DeLury, and is based on the following scientific journal article:

Ross, K. A., DeLury, N. C., Fukumoto, L., & Forsyth, J. A. (2024). An assessment of the flavour quality attributes of Staccato, Sweetheart, and Sentennial sweet cherry cultivars in relation to maturity level at harvest. Fruit Research 4: e037. https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/frures-0024-0031

Key Findings

Of the fruit quality traits we evaluated, fruit dry matter at harvest was the best predictor of post-storage sweet cherry flavour (after simulated overseas shipping conditions).
We found that colour was not a reliable indicator of maturity and/or flavour quality as cherries with the same colour didn’t always have the same amount of dry matter, soluble solids, or acidity (due to cultivar and growing condition differences).
We found that cherries had the best post-storage flavour when they were harvested at the following dry matter levels (= the “optimal dry matter range”): 22.5% - 25% dry matter for Sweetheart and 19.5% - 22.5% dry matter for Staccato. More research is needed to determine the optimal range for Sentennial but our initial data indicates 20.5% - 22.6% may be optimal. It is important to note that these numbers are based on 2-3 years of research at the Summerland Research and Development Centre and that the optimal range may differ for other regions and growing conditions.

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Key Findings

Of the fruit quality traits we evaluated, fruit dry matter at harvest was the best predictor of post-storage sweet cherry flavour (after simulated overseas shipping conditions).
We found that colour was not a reliable indicator of maturity and/or flavour quality as cherries with the same colour didn’t always have the same amount of dry matter, soluble solids, or acidity (due to cultivar and growing condition differences).
We found that cherries had the best post-storage flavour when they were harvested at the following dry matter levels (= the “optimal dry matter range”): 22.5% - 25% dry matter for Sweetheart and 19.5% - 22.5% dry matter for Staccato. More research is needed to determine the optimal range for Sentennial but our initial data indicates 20.5% - 22.6% may be optimal. It is important to note that these numbers are based on 2-3 years of research at the Summerland Research and Development Centre and that the optimal range may differ for other regions and growing conditions.