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This appetizer recipe idea is more than a trend! Jarcuterie, or single-serving charcuterie assembled in a jar, is ideal for parties, potlucks, or even food gifts.
What started as a food trend during the pandemic (a safe way to share charcuterie with pals) is a timeless entertaining recipe idea, if you ask me. Jarcuterie is customizable with your favorite antipasto fixings and is shockingly quick and easy to assemble.
Table of Contents
Ingredient notes
- Cheese: I call for gorgonzola or provolone, but other Italian cheeses such as salty pecorino, funky taleggio, or nutty Asiago would also work well.
- Salami: Calabrese, soppressata, and Genoa tend to be most popular and easy to acquire. Feel free to swap in other Italian cured meats such as coppa, fennel salami, finocchiona, capicolla, salame cotto, or prosciutto.
- Breadsticks: Grissini are pencil-sized, crispy Italian bread sticks made with pizza-like dough. Their slender format works well in Jarcuterie. At 10 inches long, the breadsticks I love are too tall for 4-ounce jars, so I broke them in half to fit.
- Gooseberries: These colorful little berries are in season from May to August with their peak in July. (You may find them at Trader Joe’s, or you can purchase them from Melissa’s Produce.) Store unwashed gooseberries in the refrigerator for 2 to 5 days. To prepare them, peel back the parchment-like husk and rinse gently. Leave the husk and stem attached as a garnish (just note that the husk is not edible). Or remove the husk and stem with scissors.
Step-by-step instructions
- Making an assembly line with 8 (4-ounce) jars, then add 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts to each jar. Next, add 2 tablespoons of dried fruit to each of the jars. Divide each of the cheeses evenly among the jars. Skewer an olive onto a 6-inch skewer. To skewer the meat, fold one slice of Calabrese in half, and then in half again, then pierce with a skewer. Repeat with a slice of soppressata and a slice of Genoa salami. Place skewer in jar with the olive at the top.
- Place one wrapped mozzarella stick into the jar upright, then add two breadsticks. Garnish with gooseberries or a small bunch of seedless grapes.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This Jarcuterie recipe makes 8 fully loaded jars.
- Make ahead: Except for the breadsticks (or any crackers or bread, if you choose to include them), the jars can be assembled and stored covered in the refrigerator 1 day in advance. Add breadsticks, crackers, and bread immediately before serving so they don’t get stale.
- Portion pro tip: After trying many different vessels, we landed on 4-ounce short jars as the ideal size for this Jarcuterie recipe. Stick to about 3 ounces of meat and cheese (combined) per jar to avoid overcrowding.
- A nut-free nosh: Sharing with individuals who may have nut allergies? Try this with an equal amount of roasted chickpeas, sneak in some small chocolates, or simply double up on the dried fruit.
- Dress up your jars: To make this Jarcuterie look even more special, tie a ribbon around the outside to create a bow in the front. Edible flowers are also a beautiful option (we ordered ours from Melissa’s Produce).
Midwest Charcuterie Board
A Midwest Charcuterie Board ripe with regional offerings is perfect for all-day grazing and parties with people you love. Make a few things, buy the rest, and enjoy it all! I never met a charcuterie…
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Jarcuterie
This appetizer recipe idea is more than a trend! Jarcuterie, or single-serving charcuterie assembled in a jar, is ideal for parties, potlucks, or even food gifts.
Ingredients
- 6 ounces mixed nuts
- 6 ounces dried fruit such as cherries, blueberries, cubed dried apricot
- 12 ounces gorgonzola cut into 1/2-inch squares (see note 1)
- 12 ounces provolone cut into 1/2-inch squares
- 8 pitted olives such as pimento-stuffed
- 8 slices Calabrese salami (see note 2)
- 8 slices Soppressata salami
- 8 slices Genoa salami
- 8 mozzarella string cheese sticks wrapped with salami, pepperoni, or prosciutto
- 8 bread sticks such as grissini, broken in half (see note 3)
- 3 ounces (about 2-3 pieces per jar) gooseberries or seedless grapes, for garnish, optional (see note 4)
Instructions
- Making an assembly line with 8 (4-ounce) jars, add 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts to each jar. Next, add 2 tablespoons of dried fruit to each of the jars. Divide each of the cheeses evenly among the jars.
- Skewer an olive on to a 6-inch skewer. To skewer the meat, fold one slice of Calabrese in half, and then in half again, then pierce with skewer. Repeat with a slice of soppresata and a slice of Genoa salami. Place skewer in jar with the olive at the top.
- Place one wrapped mozzarella stick into the jar upright, then add two breadsticks. Garnish with gooseberries or a small bunch of seedless grapes.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cheese: I call for gorgonzola or provolone, but other Italian cheeses such as salty pecorino, funky taleggio, or nutty Asiago would also work well.
- Salami: Calabrese, soppressata, and Genoa tend to be most popular and easy to acquire. Feel free to swap in other Italian cured meats such as coppa, fennel salami, finocchiona, capicolla, salame cotto, or prosciutto.
- Bread sticks: Grissini are pencil-sized, crispy Italian bread sticks made with pizza-like dough. Their slender format works well in Jarcuterie. At 10 inches long, the breadsticks I love are too tall for 4-ounce jars, so I broke them in half to fit.
- Gooseberries: These colorful little berries are in season from May to August with their peak in July. (You may find them at Trader Joe’s, or you can purchase them from Melissa’s Produce.) Store unwashed gooseberries in the refrigerator for 2 to 5 days. To prepare them, peel back the parchment-like husk and rinse gently. Leave the husk and stem attached as a garnish (just note that the husk is not edible). Or remove the husk and stem with scissors.
- Yield: This Jarcuterie recipes makes 8 fully-loaded jars.
- Make ahead: Except for the breadsticks (or any crackers or bread, if you choose to include them), the jars can be assembled and stored covered in the refrigerator 1 day in advance. Add breadsticks, crackers, and bread immediately before serving so they don’t get stale.
- Portion pro tip: After trying many different vessels, we landed on 4-ounce short jars as the ideal size for this Jarcuterie recipe. Stick to about 3 ounces of meat and cheese (combined) per jar to avoid overcrowding.
- A nut-free nosh: Sharing with individuals who may have nut allergies? Try this with an equal amount of roasted chickpeas, sneak in some small chocolates, or simply double-up on the dried fruit.
- Dress up your jars: To make this Jarcuterie look even more special, tie a ribbon around the outside to create a bow in the front. Edible flowers are also a beautiful option (we ordered ours from Melissa’s Produce).
Nutrition
Serving: 1jarCalories: 677kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 36gFat: 50gSaturated Fat: 24gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 1869mgPotassium: 543mgFiber: 4gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 724IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 621mgIron: 2mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hi,
I love Italian cold Antipasto. Served in a jar is a wicked idea!
Just wanted to give a minor heads up. The gooseberry you refer to is a Cape gooseberry.
A European gooseberry is green & has a hairy skin and is mindnumbingly tart. They are slipping out of fashion because of the need to sugar them to death.
Not sure if they are even available in USA but if anybody uses them it’ll ruin the antipasto. Just saying 😉.