Holiday Charcuterie 101

Food safety can be an unpopular topic and may not always seem like something that will draw a big crowd in for an educational program.  However, it is an important one. The CDC estimates 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die from foodborne diseases each year in the United States.  Therefore, as FCS professionals we must find ways to make the topic accessible and easy to “digest” for our communities.  That was the goal of a recent program in Garrard County called “Holiday Charcuterie 101”.  In this evening seminar, participants had the opportunity to see a variety of different types of charcuterie boards including traditional and dessert.  There was also a demonstration of styling a board from beginning to end, and participants were able to make their own mini charcuterie boards.  Evaluations were given at the end and showed the following results: Out of 14 participants, 100% reported the program improved their knowledge about charcuterie boards, 100% reported they plan to use the information in the future, and 100% reported an increase in knowledge about food safety.

Participant comments:

“I didn’t know how to make the rose so I’m excited to try that!”

“Loved it! I’ve always been intimidated by them but watch out fam-here come the charcuteries!”

“Lots of ideas that I will be using! Thanks!”

“Really enjoyed your class!”

“Wonderful program! Thank you for this offering”

“Amazing! Thank you!”

“Fun and amazing program! Great job!”

“Thank you for having these classes. I believe they are very beneficial and informative and also a great way to bring community members together.”