PRESERVING AND COOKING WITH BLACK TRUFFLES

The best way to enjoy the incomparable aroma and taste of black truffles is to consume them when fresh and to do so it is very important to preserve them correctly. Our basic recommendations are:

• Truffles must never be kept at room temperature. It is necessary to refrigerate them at a temperature no higher than 4ºC.
• When kept in a refrigerator, it is advisable to keep truffles in an airtight container and place them on a bed of rice, which will absorb any moisture and preserve them for longer. If we don’t have any rice to hand, the alternative would be to use blotting paper, which would have to be changed regularly.
• It is important to open the container where the truffles are kept once or twice a day, to avoid an accumulation of moisture and allow the truffles to “breathe”.
• If the container is not airtight, the truffles should be covered with a cloth, and if possible, an earthenware container should be used.

If you prefer to freeze the truffles for later use, it is advisable not to keep them longer than one year in the freezer.

Truffles must be frozen in an airtight container, and when used, the necessary amount should be grated while still frozen, and the remaining truffle should be replaced quickly in the freezer.

On our blog you will find excellent ideas and recipes with black truffles Tuber Melanosporum created by highly prestigious chefs. But first, we would like to offer some basic tips on cooking with black truffles.

When using truffles for cooking it is important to remember that they must never be heated to over 40º C, as they would lose most of their properties. Cooking with black truffles is a big responsibility.

Although black truffle is a highly regarded ingredient in haute cuisine, it is not necessary to prepare very elaborate dishes. We would suggest you enjoy the aroma and taste of black truffle by preparing simple recipes. The best way to use it is to add it to food just before serving.

One easy and succulent way to appreciate how exquisite black truffle can be would be to cut thin slivers onto a plate and pour good quality virgin olive oil over it (not too strong); leave it to marinate for a couple of hours and serve on thinly sliced bread. If we used freshly toasted bread, the combination would be even more delicious.

Another basic delicious recipe consists of merely grating or thinly slicing a good quantity of truffle over fried eggs (quails’ or chickens’). What is more, if we place the eggs in the same container where we keep the truffle in the refrigerator, we will get a much more intense truffle flavour.

In general, we could say that black truffles are best combined with fatty foods. The main foods that bring out the true flavour of truffles are rice, eggs and pasta, but meat, salad and desserts can also be enriched by adding this delicious fungus.