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Some useful tips on how to preserve your Fresh  Black Summer Truffles.

In Italy also called SCORZONE

The Black Summer Truffle is a very delicate food and for this reason, it is also highly perishable.

Ideally it is best to consume immediately but obviously, this is not always possible.  What can you do then, to preserve your Scorzone without damaging it as well as  preserve its delicious and unique aroma?

✔ A first method for storing Scorzone (perfect if you intend to use it within a few days) is to wrap it in a sheet of kitchen paper or, if you don’t have any available at the moment, inside a cotton handkerchief. Once this is done, you will have to put your wrapped truffle in an airtight glass jar or container and place it in the refrigerator. With this method, in fact, you will be sure to preserve all the moisture present inside your truffle -that which gives it its unique flavour. Frequently check the condition of the black truffle, remembering to replace the paper or handkerchief in which you wrapped it every two to three days maximum.

✔ A second effective technique to best preserve your Scorzone is to put it in oil. Doing so is very simple: once you have cut your truffle into slices, insert the latter into a glass jar and cover them entirely with olive oil (please use good quality Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil). Close the jar tightly with its lid and place it in your refrigerator. A variant of this technique is where the oil is replaced with butter: more specifically, you will have to dip the slices of black summer truffle in melted butter at room temperature. Once this is done, place everything in a glass jar and store it in the refrigerator.

✔ Another very common technique for the preservation of black truffle is to preserve in the form … of a sauce! Again in this case, the preparation of the Scorzone sauce is really easy: grate your black truffle and add a few tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of pepper and salt, mixing everything until you get a nice homogeneous mixture.

✔ Do you know that you can also keep your black summer truffles in the freezer?

To do this, you will need to insert truffles, whole or grated, inside a transparent bag for food storage. To avoid the formation of ice, which could cause the loss of its characteristic scent, remember to use a vacuum machine, in order to eliminate all the air present in the bag. Use this method if you have no way of consuming your truffles within a few days. If, in fact, storing Scorzone in the freezer has the undoubted advantage of being able to use them for a long time, on the other hand this will inevitably lead, in the long run, to a loss of their characteristic scent. To try to overcome this inconvenience, you can put a small handful of coarse salt in the bag, together with the truffles. If you have decided to use this method of preservation, remember that, once you have taken your black truffles out of the freezer, you will have to use them directly frozen: defrosting them, in fact, would mean making it take on a rubbery texture that would make it difficult to cut it into slices.

✔ Another common method for the preservation of black truffles is to keep them stored under rice. This may seem like a strange technique, but it’s actually highly effective and easy to do.  In fact, you will only have to insert the whole truffle inside a glass container and cover it entirely with rice.  Just close the jar tightly with the lid and place it in the refrigerator. With this method you will get two advantages: in addition to preserving your Scorzone, you will not be forced to throw away the rice: the latter, in fact, having now been flavoured with truffles, will be perfect for making excellent risottos (consult our recipes).

✔ In fact, of all the preservation methods we have proposed so far, this is the one we most recommend you use:  TUBER-PACK® PACKAGING FOR TRUFFLES 

Tuber-pack® is an elegant, practical and remarkably hygienic packaging and storage method for truffles. With Tuber-pack ® is possible to show the truffle without touching it and thanks to the barrier bag* it stops the odour, for a better transport and preservation.

Tuber-pack® lengthens truffle life, if stored at right temperature; moreover, the weight loss is about 3% against the usual 10-15% when stored in open air. With Tuber-pack® at the moment of usage the truffle resurrects to just as was when picked up, with its seductive flavour fully in tact. We offer the choice to buy it with or without your fresh truffle check our store.

How long can the fresh black truffles be kept?

We have shown you the best techniques to preserve your black summer truffles: but for how long can you do it? This question does not have a singular answer: depending on the method you decide to use to preserve your Scorzone, the storage period will be different.

If, for example, you have decided to keep your truffles in the refrigerator, wrapped in kitchen paper or in a cotton handkerchief, know that its storage period will be short: from a minimum of six to a maximum of eight days.

If, then, you have decided to opt for the preservation of the truffle by putting it in oil, you can use it within ten days. The variant in which butter is used instead of oil, on the other hand, will allow you to keep your truffle for up to two months.

Always, ten days is the maximum time within which you can keep your black truffles in the form of a sauce.

Finally, if you have decided to put your black summer truffles under rice, they can be stored for a maximum of a few days. This is due to the fact that rice, if on the one hand it has the ability to keep the typical aroma of Scorzone intact, on the other hand it tends to dry it, because it risks absorbing all the humidity inside it in a short time, thus making the truffles unusable.

Which technique do you use? Do you know others? Let us know in the comments.

Truffles have gained widespread attention in the culinary world lately, becoming a favourite among chefs and food-lovers alike.

Not to be confused with the chocolate confectionery of the same name, truffles are a type of fungus that grows near the roots of certain trees.

There are many different types — such as, white truffles, winter black truffles, white spring truffles, burgundy or autumn truffles and black summer truffles — each with minute differences in flavour, appearance and price.

In addition to their strong flavour and pungent aroma, truffles are also highly nutritious and have been linked to a number of powerful health effects.

Here are 6 surprising health benefits of truffles.

1. Rich in Important Nutrients

Truffles boast an impressive nutrient profile and are high in many important vitamins and minerals. 

In fact, they’re high in carbs, protein and fibre and contain both saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, as well as micronutrients, such as vitamin C, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, manganese and iron (1Trusted Source).

Research also indicates that truffles may be a complete source of protein, providing all nine essential amino acids your body needs (1Trusted Source).

Keep in mind that the nutrient profile can vary between species. For example, studies show that white desert truffles are higher in protein, fat and fibre than other types, such as the black desert species (1Trusted Source).

SUMMARY: Truffles are considered a complete source of protein and are high in carbs, fibre and several micronutrients.

2. High in Antioxidants

Truffles are a great source of antioxidants, compounds that help fight free radicals and prevent oxidative damage to your cells.

Studies show that antioxidants are important to many aspects of your health and may even be linked to a lower risk of chronic conditions, such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes (2Trusted Source).

Though the exact amounts can vary between different species, truffles have been shown to contain antioxidants like vitamin C, lycopene, gallic acid and homogentisic acid (3Trusted Source).

Because of their antioxidant content, test-tube studies show that both black and white truffles may even help kill cancer cells and reduce inflammation (4Trusted Source).

Note that this study was performed using highly concentrated truffle extracts. Therefore, it remains unclear how the antioxidants in fresh truffles may affect your overall health.

SUMMARY: Truffles are high in several important antioxidants, which may help reduce your risk of chronic disease, decrease cancer cell growth and reduce inflammation. However, more research is needed.

3. Has Antibacterial Properties

In addition to their stellar nutrient profile, truffles may also have antimicrobial properties that can help decrease the growth of specific strains of bacteria.

One test-tube study showed that extract from desert truffles inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus by up to 66%. This bacteria can cause a wide range of illnesses in humans (5Trusted Source).

Similarly, another test-tube study observed that extract from the same variety decreased the growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a strain of bacteria that is often highly resistant to antibiotics (6Trusted Source).

However, further research is needed to measure the antibacterial effects of other types of truffles and in amounts typically eaten.

Additionally, high-quality studies should be conducted to determine how the antibacterial properties of truffles may affect these bacterial infections in humans.

SUMMARY: Some test-tube studies show that truffles can decrease the growth of several strains of bacteria. However, human research is lacking.

4. May Help Kill Cancer Cells

Though evidence is currently limited to test-tube studies, some research suggests that truffles may possess powerful anticancer properties.

For example, one test-tube study showed that compounds extracted from different types of truffles helped block the growth of liver, lung, colon and breast tumour cells (7Trusted Source).

Another test-tube study found that extracts from both black and white species exhibited anticancer effects on cervical, breast and colon cancer cells (4Trusted Source).

However, additional studies are needed to evaluate how truffles may impact cancer growth in humans when eaten rather than in concentrated extract form.

SUMMARY: Test-tube studies show that truffles may have anticancer properties and could help block the growth of certain types of cancer cells.

5. May Help Reduce Inflammation

Inflammation is a vital part of your immune function that helps defend your body against infection and illness.

However, sustaining high levels of inflammation in the long term is thought to contribute to the development of chronic disease (8Trusted Source).

Some research suggests that truffles may help relieve inflammation and hence promote overall health and immunity.

One test-tube study showed that certain compounds in black and white species could block the activity of specific enzymes involved in the inflammatory process (4Trusted Source).

Other test-tube research has found that truffles may help fight free radical formation, which can reduce your risk of cell damage and inflammation (9, 10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).

Still, more research is needed to understand how eating normal amounts of truffles may influence levels of inflammation in humans.

SUMMARY: Several test-tube studies show that truffles can help reduce inflammation to promote overall health. Still, more studies in humans are needed.

6. Easy to Add to Your Diet

Once considered a pricey delicacy reserved for gourmet dishes, there are now plenty of ways to add truffles to your diet without having to empty your bank account.

Widely available at specialty markets and online retailers, black truffles are one of the most common varieties and much more affordable than other types, such as the white variety.

While each ounce (28 grams) comes with a hefty price tag, it only takes a small amount to transform your dish.

Try topping salads, soups or main courses with a few shavings for a flavourful, aroma-packed garnish.

Alternatively, you can mix a bit of truffle into olive oil or room temperature butter to use in your favourite recipes for a tasty twist.

The delicacy also works well in sauces, pasta, risottos and meat or seafood dishes.

SUMMARY:  Truffles can be used in small amounts in a variety of recipes for a bit of added flavour and aroma. They can also be mixed into butter or olive oil and drizzled over dishes.