Sensory evaluation and the determination of the optimum month for the consumption and storage quality of daylily (Hemerocallis spp.) cultivars 'Rosie Meyer' and 'Siloam Powder Pink'

The objectives of this research were to establish a semi-descriptive sensory language that describes the attributes of the flower and to determine the storage conditions and shelf-life quality for commercial usage. Flowers were harvested from the South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, MS and transported to the Garrison Sensory Laboratory located on the campus of Mississippi State University. Trained panelists (judges) were utilized for the establishment of the descriptive terms. Judges established 65 sensory terms that described the daylily cultivars. Results demonstrated that the flowers had a four day shelf-life stored in a commercial type refrigeration unit. Significant differences (P < 0.05) were reported for daylily cultivars 'Rosie Meyer' and 'Siloam Powder Pink' in aroma, mouth feel, and oral texture attributes. The optimum month for consumption of 'Rosie Meyer' was September and for 'Siloam Powder Pink' was July. This information will benefit both the horticultural and food industry with expected cultivation and harvesting yields and consumer acceptability of the flowers. Further research should be conducted to develop a complete sensory lexicon for daylilies.