How Far Ahead Can You Assemble A Charcuterie Board?

Charcuterie boards can be sophisticated works of art that never fail to impress, but crafting them can also be a daunting task. Carving uniform portions of cheese, choosing the appropriate serving tools, and mixing spreads that complement the cured meats takes time — sometimes more time than folks have to spend constructing what is essentially a snack platter. Many hosts are always looking for a way to make prep less stressful. So, when putting together a charcuterie board, you may wonder if the bulk of the labor can be done in advance.

To answer this question for our short-cut seeking entertainers, we asked Dominick DiBartolomeo, the owner and president of The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills and Domenico's Foods. He's made a charcuterie board or two in his time and advised us how far ahead you can create this eloquent display. While you need to use your best judgment regarding the type of cheese on the charcuterie board, along with the other ingredients, DiBartolomeo says that, broadly speaking, "You can assemble a board up to 48 hours in advance."

That gives you some wiggle room to tackle other considerations before the event. However, you wouldn't want to have your hard work go to waste by making the mistake of storing cheese incorrectly. To this point, he says, "Always store your cheese and charcuterie boards wrapped in the refrigerator and serve them at room temperature."

Although most prep work can be done quite a few hours in advance, the immaculate presentation of a good charcuterie board still needs attention. The first thing you'll want to consider is how it should be stored for the 48 hours leading up to your event. "You should also make sure you wrap the board well and not pre-cut any fruit as that will not last if prepped in advance," says DiBartolomeo. Covering them completely in plastic wrap will prevent the quality of the meat and cheese from deteriorating before they are presented to guests.

However, cold cheese on a charcuterie board just won't do. As DiBartolomeo told us, "always serve your cheese and charcuterie boards at room temperature for optimal flavor and texture." Pull the cheese with enough time before serving to get rid of its chill. This step is just as important as making it look appetizing. Regarding just how early you should do this, DiBartolomeo said, "I would say at least 45 minutes to an hour to allow [the cheese] to warm up to room temperature."

Doing the majority of assembling ahead of time is a great way to eliminate the stress that can accompnay constructing a charcuterie board the day of your event. However, it still requires careful consideration. Guests may be wowed by all the skillful knife work that went into your elegant arrangement, but wow factor will dissipate as they try to saw through overly cold cheese.