Instrumental evaluation of the texture of cv. Nocellara del Belice table olives

The Nocellara del Belice (Olea europaea L.) is the most important double-aptitude olive variety in western Sicily (Italy), it is one of the most important domestic varieties both for the production and the marketed quantities. Nowadays there is a lack of studies on its mechanical properties through instrumental analysis able to provide quantitative measurements of its flesh texture which is a very important quality attribute for the consumer. The aim of this study is to evaluate the texture of Nocellara del Belice table olives, packed in glass jars, through a mechanical system allowing us to continuously measure and record the compression force along the profile of the flesh of the fruit. For this purpose, we evaluated the influence of the retention period on the texture of olive fruits in brine produced in three different years, supporting the results with the kinesthetic properties evaluated by sensory analysis. Our results show that in the three years of production we studied, olives packed immediately after processing (with "Castelvetrano" system) preserve their texture better than olives packed six months later. Our study found that the packaging of table olives in glass jars containing covering liquid reduces the tissues of the drupe from softening than long-term storage in drums in contact with the brine.