# A Preliminary Study on the Potential of the New Red-Fleshed 'JB' Clone Apple for Cider Production
## 3 Results and Discussion  
The apple juice was subjected to a detailed physicochemical analysis to determine the key parameters that indicate its quality and suitability as a raw material, including for cider production. Color is an important food product attribute that helps assess its quality and influences consumer preference [19]. Early studies highlight the attractiveness of the color of the juices from red-fleshed apples; however, no such research has been conducted on musts. The red color of musts can affect the color of final products, such as ciders, potentially increasing their attractiveness [26]. A unique characteristic of this juice is its dark red color (Figure 1). CIE color parameters identify color using three attributes: L*, a*, and b*. The L* parameter represents lightness, where a value of 100 identifies white and 0 indicates black. The a* parameter determines the color transition from green (when the results are negative) to red (when the results are positive). In contrast, b* parameter determines the color transition from blue (negative values) to yellow (positive values) [27]. Must from red-fleshed apples is characterized by an intense red color (a* = 35.64) (Table 1). The color of juice from red-fleshed apples depends on weather conditions during the vegetation period, as well as the method of juice extraction and storage. Studies have shown that juices obtained with a centrifuged spiral filter press exhibited a greater intensity of red hue [28]. Additionally, juices obtained from another red-fleshed apple cultivar ('Red Love NO. 1') were characterized by higher brightness (L* = 19.28) and lower a* values (a* = 2.99), indicating a strong influence of the apple cultivar on the color of the musts and, consequently, on final products such as ciders [29]. In our study, significant color changes were observed after fermentation, including lightening of the cider (L* = 85.9) and a decrease in the intensity of the red color (a* = 11.1). This may be due to cider clarification and centrifugation. During fermentation, the sugar content of the raw material is essential, as an insufficient amount can lead to several consequences. In such cases, it may be necessary to sweeten the must, which, in turn, alters the product category, as it can no longer be classified as a quality cider. In high-quality ciders, sweetening is only permitted using must, apple juice (including concentrate juice), or honey in the finished product [30]. Another important indicator of must quality is total acidity, which helps determine whether the apples used are a less desirable dessert cultivar for cider production or a cultivar with a higher acidity. Higher acidity ensures microbiological safety during fermentation and contributes to the desired fresh flavors in the final product. It is also necessary to measure the must's pH to determine whether it creates suitable conditions for the growth of undesirable microflora. Additionally, the polyphenol content of the must should be determined, as it defines the apple cultivar used. Cider apples usually contain more polyphenols than dessert apples. However, polyphenol content is influenced by many factors, including agronomic conditions, storage methods, and crushing and pressing processes [14]. All the results obtained from the physicochemical analysis of the apple must are presented in Table 2.  
The apparent extract content determined for the juice from the 'JB' clone apples was 13.0 \(\pm\) 0.0 \({}^{\circ}\)Blg (Table 1). [PERSON] et al. [31] examined the extract content of apple juices from the 'Idared' and 'Golden Delicious' cultivars. Four juices were prepared from each cultivar, differing in fruit pretreatment, which included crushing (variant \(R\)), crushing \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l} \hline \hline  & **L*** & **a*** & **b*** \\ \hline Must & 34.4 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 35.6 \(\pm\) 0.08 & 29.6 \(\pm\) 0.14 \\ Cider & 85.9 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 11.1 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 30.4 \(\pm\) 0.02 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: The color parameters of the ’JB’ apple must.