The eight blackcurrant cultivars were harvested at maturity. Three conditions were required to consider this fruit as ripe: berries were easy to pick, berries colored fingers when crushed between two fingers, and Brix level at harvest was over fifteen degrees. As all cultivars ripened at different times (early ripening, middle season ripening, or late ripening), the harvesting period extended for almost one month from the end of June to mid-July, as indicated in Table 2 . All berries of each plant were manually picked and pooled together within the same cultivar. Cultivars gave berries of different sizes, ranging from 31 to 96 g per 100 berries, with 38 g/100 berries for the Noir de Bourgogne.
The method of harvest followed for hybrids was slightly different because there were very few berries by plant (just enough for GC-MS analyses). Therefore, it was not possible to keep berries to measure and verify the brix degree. Berries of hybrids were harvested the same day as the corresponding cultivar (other than Noir de Bourgogne). If some berries were still green, the hybrid plant was left to ripen.
Berries were stored frozen (−40 °C) until analyses for cultivars and hybrids. Storage duration ranged from one to three months before analyses.
The method of harvest followed for hybrids was slightly different because there were very few berries by plant (just enough for GC-MS analyses). Therefore, it was not possible to keep berries to measure and verify the brix degree. Berries of hybrids were harvested the same day as the corresponding cultivar (other than Noir de Bourgogne). If some berries were still green, the hybrid plant was left to ripen.
Berries were stored frozen (−40 °C) until analyses for cultivars and hybrids. Storage duration ranged from one to three months before analyses.
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