The Vital Safety Rule Your Charcuterie Board Should Follow

When you're having people over for a get-together, a charcuterie board is one of the most convenient ways to dole out snacks without having to do any actual cooking. (An added bonus is that they can look flashy with affordable ingredients, too.) That being said, just like with any dishes, you should be following some basic safety precautions when it comes to serving them, since you don't want your friends and family to get sick.

I know it's not exactly the most fun subject, but it's way better to mind the rules than to put people at risk. So, just how long can you have that charcuterie board out on the table before you have to put it away? The University of Nebraska-Lincoln says that when it comes to charcuterie, "Cut produce and cheeses need to be refrigerated until served and should not be kept at room temperature for more than two hours total (one hour if the temperature is above 90 [degrees Fahrenheit])." So generally, two hours is a good rule of thumb before you wrap up the sliced meats and cheeses and toss them back into the fridge. But it's only one hour if you live in a much hotter climate. 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has some other general safety tips that are good too keep in mind for charcuterie board safety. Don't forget to set out utensils like tongs, knives, forks, and toothpicks to keep people from grabbing things with their hands (I know, we're all guilty of doing this). And if you're serving things like dips or condiments, refresh them with new servings every two hours — but don't forget to either wash out your former serving bowl or use a new one instead. 

One thing I hadn't thought of is serving individual portions of charcuterie and cheese in small vessels like miniature jelly jars. I'm sure a toothpick skewer would work well in this case, too. It's sort of a similar idea to the 'shortcuterie' trend that's been going around. So, if you're hosting, just keep an eye on the time and put the charcuterie platter away when the timer's up. And it's not like you have to toss it, necessarily. You can always use the leftovers for a charcuterie spread later after it's been safely stored.