Truffles

FRESH BLACK TRUFFLES AVAILABLE NOW  - Hunted 26th July 2024 - 

** Free Express Shipping Aus Wide (ex. WA)**

Where are they grown? We grow our own Perigord truffles right here on our farm in Central West NSW. Our truffle groves are some of the oldest in Australia. They were planted in 1991 and the cold climate of Newbridge in Central West NSW has perfect truffle growing conditions. 

Aren't Truffles only from France? Not anymore! Truffles are a relatively new industry to Australia. It was only in the 70s that scientists figured out a way of taking the wild spores from the truffles in France to inoculate saplings. My Uncle James (who owned our farm before us) was a forward thinker in agriculture. The first place they tried to emulate the French forests was Tasmania and then ours was one of the first farms on mainland Australia to plant and successfully grow truffles almost 30 years ago.

What do they smell like? The truffles exhibit the sweet, earthy fragrance and savoury characteristics of the finest truffles from the Perigord and Provence regions of Southern France. 

What's my favourite way to use truffle?  A truffle risotto is a winner, along with a fresh pizza and even a steak. But if I'm feeling lazy a classic cheese toastie is a delicious low-key way of enjoying truffles. Just use good cheese and crusty bread!

How long will they last?  Quite a while if you know what to do with them.
1-2 weeks: Typically a fresh truffle is good for 2 weeks after they've been dug up.
2-4 months: After the fortnight is up and you still have some, store them in rice, salt, or in a glass container with your eggs. The aroma will permeate all these ingredients and let you enjoy your truffles for even longer. NB. Make sure you use a well-sealed glass container to keep all the aromas where they belong. 
4-12 months: Lastly, I shave the truffle into some soft butter and then freeze it - so good on fresh bread or over a steak. Or in any savoury sauce!

How did you learn about them? I'm learning more every day about hunting and the elusive magic of growing truffles. I get a real feeling of satisfaction about training my own dog to hunt and I've picked up most of what I know on the job from talking with Uncle James and watching the pros at work,  before heading to the groves with Butter.

What is 'Hunting? A typical hunting session lasts no more than an hour using Butter’s scent training to find the ripening truffles in the soil. I take her  through the grove - we have 8000 trees-  and she will signify that she can smell the truffle by madly wagging her tail (in France and Italy, they even use pigs!)  I then scratch around and dig it out really gently with a spoon, trying not to damage the truffle, without knowing exactly what I’m digging up because they come in all different sizes and qualities.
Once I have them safely home, I give them a thorough clean in cold water with a soft toothbrush, grade them for sale, and let them dry, weight them and then locally deliver or ship them.

How do you sell them? Truffles are sold on a per-gram basis.

Local restaurants and cafes around the Orange/Millthorpe area buy the truffles, but supply and demand always change.

The wet summer and cold winter here means that our harvest was a ripper and we're offering our truffles for the first time directly to consumers with FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING

How do you ship them? We use Australia Post’s e-Parcel system for all deliveries. Once your truffles are in the post (usually the same day or next day as your purchase) you will receive an email from me which will include an Australia Post tracking number. Please monitor the progress of the delivery to best ensure freshness. 

Simply select your truffle by weight and we'll have it in the post via Express ASAP. 

Bon appétit

Carina & Butter xx

Photos: All of these beautiful photos have been taken by Monique Lovick Photography.