Black Winter Truffles (Tuber Melanosporum)

Black Winter Truffles (Tuber Melanosporum) Availability: Nov. – March

• The world’s best-known truffle.  The fruity body can vary in size from that of a hazelnut to an orange. Its shape varies from round and even to irregular and lobed. The skin is black, sometimes with dark red or rust colored patches. It ripens in winter, from November to March. In Italy, it grows most commonly in Umbria, Abruzzo, Marche, Toscana, Lazio, and as well as in Veneto, Piedmonte and Liguria.

Fresh Truffle Storage and Handling: After buying fresh truffles, your precious purchase should be cleaned of any earth by rubbing it gently with a small brush, such as a toothbrush, under running water. Fresh truffles are living, delicate organisms that must be consumed as soon as possible as they tend to dehydrate (at room temperature they lose 1-2% of their weight every day) and lose their scent. To properly store your truffle, before or in between uses, wrap it in a dry paper towel, which you should change every day. Then place the truffle in a glass jar, close tightly and store in the least cool part of the refrigerator somewhere between 39-46 degrees Fahrenheit. This storage method guarantees the quality of a prized white truffle will stay for at least a week and that of a black truffle for two weeks.