Blueberry texture is one of the most commercially relevant quality traits. This parameter is closely associated with maturity and significantly affects post-harvest storage. Measuring small fruit firmness is challenging and critical due to the lack of a cheap, rapid, and easily interpretable standardized method of analysis. The digital durometer (53215 TP–Turoni, I), based on the Shore scale, has been found to be suitable for assessing berries hardness. In this study, samples were sorted according to their surface color: green, pink, red, ripe (completely blue), and overripe (completely pigmented, matte dark blue). Afterward, berries were classified into five categories based on the Shore scale. Every hardness value was linked to CIELAB coordinate color. In addition, every hardness category was related to total soluble solids content (TSS) and titratable acidity (TA). Results showed statistical differences in colorimetric coordinates and C color index among the firmness categories. Regression analysis showed a significative R² coefficient between firmness and C color index (R²=0.79), and firmness and TA (R²=0.87). The findings highlighted how the digital durometer accurately divides fruits into maturity classes. This tool can be helpful as a non-destructive, accurate, rapid, and cheap procedure to sort blueberries into stages of ripeness. It may be a promising starting point for improving berries storage and shelf-life. With the digital durometer, the supply chain operators could uniformly divide batches with greater precision than would be obtained with skin color analysis only.

蓝莓质地是商业上最相关的品质特征之一。该参数与成熟度密切相关，并显着影响收获后的储存。由于缺乏廉价、快速且易于解释的标准化分析方法，因此测量小果实硬度具有挑战性和关键性。已发现基于肖氏硬度的数字硬度计 (53215 TP-Turoni, I) 适用于评估浆果硬度。在这项研究中，样品根据其表面颜色进行分类：绿色、粉红色、红色、成熟（完全蓝色）和过熟（完全着色，哑光深蓝色）。之后，根据 Shore 量表将浆果分为五类。每个硬度值都与 CIELAB 坐标颜色相关联。此外，每个硬度类别都与总可溶性固体含量 (TSS) 和可滴定酸度 (TA) 相关。结果显示，硬度类别之间的色度坐标和 C 颜色指数存在统计学差异。回归分析显示显着的 R硬度与C色指数（R ² =0.79）、硬度与TA（R ² =0.87）的系数为^{2 。}研究结果强调了数字硬度计如何准确地将水果划分为成熟度等级。该工具可以作为一种非破坏性、准确、快速和廉价的程序来将蓝莓分类到成熟阶段。这可能是改善浆果储存和保质期的一个有希望的起点。使用数字硬度计，供应链运营商可以以比仅通过肤色分析获得的精度更高的精度统一划分批次。