The Chemistry Of Strawberries

Summer is here, so we're breaking out the strawberries and cream for dessert. Here, we dig into the compounds we have to thank for the aroma, color, and sweetness of this seedy fruit. 


Aroma


Two key molecules in the aroma of strawberries are furaneol & methoxyfuraneol. Their concentrations increase as the fruit ripens, reaching a maximum when it's fully ripe. Strawberry scented perfumes owe their aroma to pure furaneol. 

Color



Like many other fruits, strawberries get their color from anthocyanidins. These compounds come from the addition of a molecule called an anthocyanidin to a sugar. The major anthocyanin present in strawberries is pelarganidin 3- glucose. 

Sweetness




A variety of Compounds contribute to a strawberries flavor, with sweetness& acidity playing a major role. Sweetness develops as the strawberries ripen a process driven by auxin hormones. Acidity, primarily from citric acid, decreases during the ripening process.
   _@kinjal jadav.