Sensory properties of fruit skins

The sensory characteristics of fruit skins were determined for a range of produce including large fruit (apples, pears, and tomatoes) and small fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and cherry tomatoes). These results provided a context within which to study the sensory properties of skins from novel kiwifruit (Actinidia). The kiwifruit skins ranged from the edible skins of grape-sized Actinidia arguta through to the brown hairy toughened skin of A. delisiosa, which is usually considered inedible. Generally, the removal of the peel resulted in a significant decrease in chewing force, bite firmness and bitterness. As expected, the peel on its own was generally perceived as requiring more chewing force, and was bitterer than peeled fruit. Conversely, the peel was significantly less sweet than either the peeled or unpeeled fruit. The effect of the peel on the eating experience is largely influenced by the size of the fruit.