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Enjoy your charcuterie board experience

but don't forget food safety . . .

A party tray with a funny name has gained popularity recently but how in the world do you pronounce it?

Webster’s dictionary lists it as “shar-coo-tree.”

KSU food scientist Karen Blakeslee says charcuterie is French for cured meat.” She says the flavorful meats are dry cured, so they are safe without refrigeration or freezing.

There are many meats to pair with cheese, crackers, nuts, and fruits for the full charcuterie board experience.

Those would include country-cured ham and prosciutto among others.

While the cured meats need not be refrigerated or frozen, food safety is still important.

“Since these foods are ready-to-eat and not heated, handwashing is especially important,” Blakeslee said. “Rinse fresh fruit in cold running water, and if preparing the board ahead of serving time, keep the fruit and cheese refrigerated.”

Dry cured meats are a mix of science and art, where salt, meat chemistry, temperature and environment are combined to create unique flavors. Blakeslee said water activity is crucial to creating shelf stable meat.

“The water activity — or the amount of water available within the food that can allow the growth of microorganisms — is affected by the moisture content, salt content and environmental temperature,” she said. By reducing the water activity, microorganism growth is inhibited.

Local meat business owners interested in learning how to cure meats can contact K-State’s Value Added Services and Programs, located in the Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, for information on how to comply with USDA regulations and other consulting and technical services.

Blakeslee, who is also coordinator of K-State’s Rapid Response Center for Food Science, publishes a monthly newsletter called You Asked It! that provides numerous tips on food safety.

More information is also available from local extension offices in Kansas.

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