The Jar Lid Hack That Gives All Your Guests Their Own Charcuterie Board

It's time to revisit the empty mason jars you ordered for canning projects during the pandemic. Your next charcuterie board-building efforts are in for a hosting upgrade, and canning jars are the perfect vessel to create cute containers for your guests. Both lids and jars can be creatively used to package and present underrated charcuterie ingredients. Whether you're arranging dessert foods or layering savory ingredients, the sturdy lids serve as convenient, portable canvases that can be placed neatly onto grazing tables, atop your guest's glasses and cups, or carried to this weekend's picnic in the park.

Adorn these lids with pretty layers of cheeses, sturdy fruits, fresh herbs, and roasted nuts before spreading them about the table settings or placing them atop wine glasses. Or, if you want to let your guests choose their own charcuterie, inverted lids can be passed out and filled with displays of nuts and bite-sized snacks. Dips and sauces can be easily poured into the upside-down lids, and the empty jars can be used to present breadsticks and crackers for easy snacking. 

Differently-sized lids can add visual appeal to food displays, with larger lids separating cubes of cheeses from smaller lids filled with chocolate-covered pretzels. You can arrange the filled lids onto serving platters and disperse them throughout the party for convenient reach. Once charcuterie items have been set out and displayed, party hosts can offer empty jar lids for guests to fill with savory or sweet ingredients of their own choosing. This kind of DIY approach can double as an ice-breaker activity among strangers. For a more personalized approach to entertaining, jars can be pre-filled and labeled with snacks chosen specifically according to guests' dietary preferences.

Alternatively, you can use lids to keep toothpicks organized or serve as a collection point for olive seeds and used skewers. Once mason jars and their lids are regarded as not only a tool for food preservation but also a helpful approach to hosting, dinner parties and cocktail hours may take on more aesthetic appeal.