Source: Stefano Lugli
The quality of a cherry at harvest is the result of a sequence of processes that begins long before the fruit develops the color, size, and composition associated with ripening. During development, the fruit’s size and structure, vascular architecture, cuticle, firmness, water status, concentration and distribution of sugars and organic acids, pigmentation, and, in the final stages, a significant part of its phenolic and aromatic profile all change.
These processes are coordinated, but they are not synchronous. The point at which a trait becomes visible or easily measurable does not necessarily coincide with the stage at which its main biological determinants were established. This is one of the keys to correctly interpreting cherry quality and avoiding the identification of “ripening” with a single index, whether color, firmness, or soluble solids (Serrano et al., 2005; Ponce et al., 2021).
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