Florida 4-H Extension leverages charcuterie trend to teach youths about food safety, financial planning

Charcuterie boards have been all the rage in recent years. These artfully arranged spreads of cured meals, cheeses, fruits and preserves combine creativity with delicious flavors.

University of Florida 4-H Extension leaders have leveraged the charcuterie trend to teach youth about food and kitchen safety and financial planning, among other topics. A contest called Charcuterie Masters allows 4-H members to work on teams that create their own charcuterie boards.

Choosing items to place on their boards required tasting new foods and learning about flavors that complement each other. The youths learned about financial responsibility when it comes to selecting foods while shopping. Keeping foods at safe temperatures and handling tools carefully in the kitchen was another aspect of the contest. Teamwork, decision-making skills and creativity, of course, came into play in designing the layouts of the boards.

In a survey, 74% of contestants said the information they learned was very useful.

Project supported by Smith-Lever and county funds. Photo courtesy University of Florida / IFAS Extension.