Measuring Brix: How Sweet It Is

Wondering why one apple variety tastes sweet and delicious, while another type is bland and watery? Our Measuring Brix infographic explains what sets a good piece of fruit apart.

Introduction

Degrees Brix—or Total Soluble Solids (as scientists say)—is the measurement of sugars in a piece of fruit.

As the fruit ripens the starch turns into sugar, the flesh softens, and the seeds harden. Now it’s ready to eat!

Why is it useful?

Brix is used by fresh produce growers, packers, and retailers to test the quality of fruit. That’s because the higher the Brix measurement is, the better the fruit tastes!

Not only is Brix an indication of how tasty a piece of fruit will be, but studies also show that produce with higher Brix levels may be more nutrient-dense and rot-resistant.

Winemakers even use brix to determine the potential alcohol content of wine before it’s made by determining the sugar level in grapes.

How is it measured?

Brix can be measured in two ways. One way is to squeeze some of the fruit juice onto the surface of a refractometer, view the juice through light, and match the blue color shown on the scale to a chart. This way is destructive to the fruit, time-consuming, and subjective—which can lead to inconsistencies in measurement.

The objective way to measure Brix is with handheld devices, like the F-750 Produce Quality Meter, which use Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS). With the F-750, light is sent into the fruit, then based on the light’s interaction with it, a degrees Brix measurement is determined. Each scan takes 4-6 seconds and provides a wealth of data about potential quality issues, as well as ideal harvest time based on ripeness. With the F-750 you save time and fruit!*

Conclusion

So, what have we learned?

Brix equals sugar content and sugar content equals good taste—that means measuring Brix is very important. Busy fruit farmers, distributors, or grocers can save time and produce using a non-destructive tool like the F-750 Produce Quality Meter.  

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brix

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwi6uO7Bn4zLAhVX22MKHTMtApkQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wapf.betterlocalfood.org%2F17April2008_Brix_Presentation.ppt&usg=AFQjCNGcH6hcDTBLAQFDYuwoyBzd2C9pNQ&sig2=b1nfLBBnEhFOx8rnfOF2tw&bvm=bv.114733917,d.cGc&cad=rja

http://www.slideshare.net/benitoo/titratable-acidity-and-total-soluble-solids