*2.3. SSC Measurement of Samples*

After collecting NIR spectra of apple samples, 1-cm-thick slices were cut along the equator of the apples and subsequently divided into 4 equal portions according to the label. The SSC of the extracted apple juice was determined with a saccharimeter (PR-101a, ATAGO, Nagasaki, Japan). The measurements were repeated three times to take the average value as the final SSC value.
