Sensory Evaluation of Geosmin in Juice Made From Cooked Beets

A selected panel was used to determine the odor threshold of geosmin [ trans ‐1, 10‐dimethyl‐ trans ‐(9)decalol], an important aroma constituent of table beets, in juice made from cooked and peeled beets. The estimated threshold of 5.8 parts geosmin in 10 9 parts beet juice was 35 times higher than the odor threshold of geosmin in water determined by the same panel. Four samples of cooked beet juice containing different levels of geosmin were subsequently ranked according to their characteristic beet‐like aroma. An increase in geosmin content was perceived as an increase in beet‐like aroma up to a 5.8 ng/g concentration of geosmin. Juice made from cooked and peeled beets showed a 56–60% reduction in geosmin content in comparison with juice prepared from raw beets (with geosmin concentration below 5.8 ng/g). Therefore processing may reduce the characteristic aroma of beets.