Truffles have a fairly short shelf life and should be eaten as soon as possible to enjoy at their best, accordingly, we typically get our truffles from ground to customer in under 24 or 48 hours. Knowing how to care for truffles is important to look after them. They will keep for 1 – 2 weeks if stored carefully, however the aroma and flavour will halve in about 5 days. Furthermore, truffles are typically more than 70% water and will naturally lose 2 or 3 % of their body weight per day (moisture), so if you wait too long, they will rot or dry-out.
We have given your truffles a quick clean, however, you may wish to clean them further before using them. Wash them under running water using a small brush (e.g. vegetable brush or a toothbrush) then dry them carefully in kitchen towel.
- Remove your truffles from all of the packaging when they arrive with you.
- Place them in an airtight container (Tupperware box, glass jar, Ziploc bag) wrapped in kitchen towel. Close the lid tightly and put it in the warmest part of the fridge (generally the top-shelf). The use of a sealed container is to prevent the truffle aroma from infusing everything else – “Truffle butter: good. Truffled milk: not so much!“
- Check them daily, wipe away any condensation that collects inside the container and change the kitchen towel.
- If they grow a little white mould (harmless) clean them as above.
Storing Fresh Truffles with Eggs
We love to store our fresh truffles with eggs to infuse them with the truffle aroma. There is more detail on our ‘Cooking with Truffles’ page.
Storing Fresh Truffles with Rice
You may well read advice on how to care for truffles that suggests storing them in rice. We strongly advise against this. It will remove all of the moisture and a lot of the aroma from the truffle.
Making Truffle Oil
We strongly recommend that you DO NOT try to make your own truffle oil.
Freezing Truffles
It is possible to freeze truffles, but be aware that the taste, aroma and texture of frozen truffle does not quite match fresh ones. When a frozen truffle is defrosted it is soft, so, if you have to freeze them, they are best used from frozen. They can be placed in a freezer bag with all of the air squeezed out and then frozen.
It is recommended that frozen truffles are best used for cooking not shaving. The frozen truffle can be grated or chopped into a pan with butter (or oil) and salt, heated very gently (not frying it) for around 5 minutes. The warmed truffle can then be added to a hot dish, such as pasta or a sauce, or cooled and refrigerated for up to 48 hours.