Strawberry juice colour: A study of the quantitative and qualitative pigment composition of juices from 39 genotypes

The juices from 39 strawberry genotypes were analysed for anthocyanin composition and colour characteristics. No single cultivar or breeding line possessed the innate pigment characteristics thought to confer greater colour stability on strawberry juices but the anthocyanin patterns were far more complex than hitherto reported in strawberries. Thirteen different peaks were observed during high-performance liquid chromatography of the juices and tentative identifications are proposed for two previously unidentified strawberry anthocyanins. The occurrence of pelargonidin 3-rutinoside was confirmed. Colour quality measurements derived from CIELAB L*a*b* values are reported for the fresh juices.