In the present study, apples of regional cultivars originating from Portugal were compared in terms of some chemical properties during three consecutive harvest years. It was possible to conclude that these regional cultivars of apples were generally sweeter and contained more minerals than other cultivars described in the literature. The data revealed that the acid, protein, and mineral content depended on the apple cultivar. The acid content varied notably with the 2004, 2005, and 2006 harvests. For total sugar or protein content, the variations observed were comparatively smaller. In the 2004 and 2005 harvests, the sugar and protein contents were similar but differ from the 2006 harvest. In respect to mineral content, the 2004 harvest registered the highest differences, and this was also the year when the apples had the highest maturation index, calculated as the sugar/acid ratio.

No abstract