HOW TO STORE YOUR FRESH TRUFFLES?

All species of truffles are subject to " desiccation ", fresh truffles lose the equivalent of 5% of their weight in water every day, a phenomenon which accelerates in the event of poor conservation . In addition, it is imperative to wash your hands before handling your truffles to avoid any bacteriological development, the truffle being made up of water it can turn into a resort for bacteria. Truffles being an expensive product whose price varies and can reach up to 6000€ per kilo for white truffles , you have to be able to keep your truffles in the best conditions to avoid bad experiences.

 

La Maison Truffes Henras 1820 only offers cleaned truffles to consumers because cleaning is an inherent part of our process of selecting truffles from the best vintages, in order to guarantee its customers truffles that meet our quality and flavor criteria. You will receive your truffles under vacuum and wrapped in absorbent paper , upon receipt it is strongly recommended to remove the truffles from the packaging and follow the following instructions .

 

In the case of truffles purchased cleaned, precautions must be taken to be able to keep them for about a week :

 

• It is recommended to wrap each truffle in absorbent paper , which will be changed regularly (once a day).
• The truffles are carefully stored in a hermetically sealed glass jar , or in any other airtight box.
• They will be placed in a cool place , between 2°C and 4°C, such as the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator .

This is the most common method of preservation and guarantees the best results for the rapid consumption of your truffles . The paper towel can be replaced by rice inside the airtight box , however, contrary to popular belief, this method will not allow you to flavor the rice enough to make a truffle risotto .

“Little trick, if you put eggs in the same box for 48 hours, they will take on the smell and taste of truffles. »

 

A Melanosporum truffle, to keep all its aroma, is consumed in the days following its purchase. Be careful because a fresh truffle rapidly loses its fragrance and taste qualities.

 

STORAGE OF CAVED TRUFFLES

 

Fresh truffles that have just been hollowed out can be kept a little longer than cleaned truffles , for a maximum of 10 days in the refrigerator (in absorbent paper) without being cleaned. You can also place them in an airtight food-grade plastic box . The fresh truffle must be gently brushed under water to remove dirt, you can also soak it upon receipt to remove its earthy envelope more easily. It is important to brush them only when cooking them .

Be careful though, because this method of purchase can reserve more expensive surprises for you than the loss of your truffles . poorly preserved (poor quality truffles, other brumal type varieties, wormy or already rotten truffles).

What makes the value of melanosporum it is above all its seasonality and for this reason nothing is better than tasting it fresh in winter. Taste it at room temperature, plain and cut into thin strips to better showcase it and appreciate its aroma.

 

FREEZING FOR LONG-TERM STORAGE

If you want to keep your truffles longer, it's best to freeze them . To freeze truffles and prevent them from becoming soft when consumed, place them unwashed , vacuum-packed in the freezer and grate them frozen into the preparation on the day of consumption.

Those who have an abundance of truffles or wish to save them in anticipation of the closing of harvests can freeze them . To do this, they can be directly placed whole in a jar that will be stored in the freezer . Another technique is to grate them into thin strips and freeze them on a tray. Once they've set, slip them into a freezer bag . Frozen truffles can be stored for 6 months.

These methods are not optimal because both will alter the quality of your truffles in flavor and texture. The optimal preservation method can only be carried out by a professional equipped with a freezing cell.

The technique consists in exposing the truffles to temperatures ranging from - 30°C to - 50°C so that the temperature of the heart of the truffle reaches -18°C. The water contained in the truffles will crystallize into fine crystals which will limit the cellular destruction of the product and thus preserve the truffle , the freshness, the texture and the flavors are thus preserved. It is according to this method of freezing that we operate for our frozen black truffles .

“Wrapped in parchment paper, they keep in the freezer for about 6 months, whole or cut into thin strips. »

You can also cut them into small pieces of about 10 grams and place them in the freezer for 24 hours . The next day, all you have to do is lightly brown the frozen truffles in warm, melted butter before putting everything back in the freezer. The truffles are then enclosed in a shell of butter which will retain their flavor.

TRUFFLE PRESERVATION, AN ART RESERVED FOR PROFESSIONALS

It was Maison Henras that was the first to apply the canning technique , invented by Nicolas Appert in 1795. Truffles were then kept in specific bottles , with a wide neck, sealed with wax. At the end of the 19th century, the tin can replaced glass and the first preserves made their appearance.

Nowadays, this technique allows chefs to use the truffle throughout the year while retaining its precious flavors.

The truffle will keep some of its flavors and in addition, it can be prepared in different ways before being put in a jar, in pieces , in peels , in pieces or whole . During this transformation, a truffle loses on average 25% of its weight, but this loss is found in the form of juice in our preserves, truffle juice , very rich in flavors. Be careful when using this method, it does not apply to the white truffle! You should know that this mushroom does not support cooking very well and therefore, home canning. This preservation process causes it to lose some of its taste.

At Maison Truffes Henras 1820 we make first and second boiling preserves. The first boiling is the ultimate in canned truffles, it is often intended for catering professionals. However, we have specially developed a first boil can for our customers so that they can enjoy this quality product as well. We decline it for whole truffles , truffles in pieces and truffle peels .

Our second-boil preserves include our 100% Tuber Melanosporum undiluted truffle juice and truffle juice .

The technical processes that come into play during boiling require professional equipment and cannot be carried out by an individual. Our experts have succeeded in developing the best recipes in order to offer a stable product with a beautiful aromatic bouquet, certainly different from fresh truffles but just as interesting to use in the kitchen and usable throughout the year.

We couldn't end this article without telling you about the ideas received around conservation .

• Preservation in alcohol is to be avoided for individuals, some butchers still use it, however, it dilutes the flavors of the truffles in the alcohol, which will leave you with only a slight aromatic bouquet when tasting your truffles .
• Preservation in oil must also be prohibited because the oil does not preserve, it will, like alcohol, dilute the flavors of the truffle and even cause the development of bacteria by locking in the water contained by the truffles. Dehydration will cause all the water in the truffle , which contains a large part of its flavors, to be lost. You will only be left with the "mushroom" taste of the tuber .
• Finally, freeze-drying , which is a kind of dehydration by cold, poses substantially the same problems as dehydration.

If you have any other questions about your fresh truffles , feel free to follow us on Instagram and Facebook and send us your questions, we will be happy to answer you.