Fruit quality and consumer acceptance were measured in 14 plum cultivars. In 2015, six cultivars of asian plum (Prunus salicina) and one cultivar of american plum (Prunus americana) were harvested partially ripe and tree-ripe. In 2016, three types of plums, asian, american, and european (Prunus domestica), were harvested tree-ripe. Within most cultivars in 2015, partially ripe fruit were rated as highly as tree-ripe fruit using a hedonic rating from 1 to 9 with 1 being dislike extremely and 9 being like extremely. ‘Obilnya’ and ‘Abundance’ were rated higher than ‘Shiro’ and ‘Methley’ at both stages of ripeness and higher than ‘Vanier’ at the partially ripe stage. ‘Early Golden’ and ‘Spring Satin’ were rated higher than ‘Shiro’ and ‘Methley’ at the tree-ripe stage. In 2016, seven cultivars (Obilnya, Kahinta, Superior, Toka, Castleton, Early Italian, and Rosy Gage) were scored at the desired consumer acceptance level. ‘Shiro’ and ‘Caçak’s Best’ received overall acceptability scores below the level of acceptability. Plum type had minimal effect on scores for texture, sweetness, sourness, and overall liking. European cultivars received lower color scores than american and asian plums. Soluble solids concentration (SSC) ranged from 6.7% to 13.6% in asian plums, from 14.8% to 19.8% in american plums, and from 15.3% to 22.1% in european plums. Overall consumer acceptance of american and european cultivars was as good as for asian cultivars.

Students in the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the University of Maine were exposed to the cheese-making process, within a lab setting of two hours, utilizing an accelerated recipe for a Queso Fresco-style cheese. The purpose of this project was to provide students with a novel, hands-on learning experience, which covered concepts of coagulating milk with enzymes and the treatment of curds during the cheese-making process. The cheese recipe was tested three times by faculty and a teaching assistant to ensure standard results. The recipe, directions and procedures were adjusted and recorded. A standardized recipe and procedure were created for use in the student laboratory. Comparison of knowledge pre-and post-experiment were analyzed using the Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. Thirty-four students participated in the laboratory and when surveyed, expressed significant improvement in their understanding of the cheese-making process (p <0.001). Students also rated themselves on a six-step confidence scale from "not confident at all" to "very confident" in their understanding and ability in cheese-making with 70.5 % of the 34 students participating reporting a three-step increase in their confidence level. Students also completed a sensory evaluation of the recipe, utilizing a 9-point Hedonic scale (1-Dislike Extremely to 9-Like Extremely), with over 88 % of students giving the product a positive overall acceptability rating. Through experience gained during the cheese-making laboratory, students were able to apply concepts in food preparation, food science and sensory evaluation, all part of the curriculum content requirements of a DPD.