White truffle: where and how it grows, how to collect and grow at home, photo

Content

1 What is white truffle
2 What does a white truffle look like?
3 How does a white truffle grow?
4 Where does the white truffle grow?
5 Is it possible to eat Russian white truffle?
6 Benefits of white truffle
7 Which truffle is more expensive – white or black?
8 False doubles of Russian white truffle
9 Rules for collecting white truffles in Russia
10 How to grow white truffle at home
11 How to cook white truffle
12 How to store white truffle
13 Conclusion

White truffle (lat. Choiromyces venosus or Choiromyces meandriformis) is an unattractive looking mushroom, which at the same time has excellent taste. Its pulp is highly valued in cooking, however, it is extremely difficult to find it without specially trained animals, which is why it is the most expensive of all the mushrooms in the world.

In Russia, white truffle is also called Trinity or Polish. Among the common people, another name has become widespread - fatty. A detailed description and photo of white truffle are presented below.

What is white truffle

This is a delicious variety of mushroom with marsupial tuberous fruits that develop underground. The exact number of different subspecies of white truffle has still been established, but among all those known today, the most popular is the white Piedmontese truffle, which grows in Italy.In appearance, this mushroom resembles Jerusalem artichoke.

Also among the most valuable species is the Tuscan white truffle.

What does a white truffle look like?

The shape of the fruiting body of this mushroom differs from the traditional one - its individual parts (leg, cap) cannot be distinguished. It, like other varieties of truffle, is an irregularly shaped tuber or apothecia. It develops underground, only occasionally the tops of ripened fruiting bodies peek out to the surface. Large specimens can reach 13-14 cm in diameter, however, on average they grow to 9-10 cm. Young white truffles have a dense and fleshy flesh, and a smooth skin. As they develop, the surface of the fruiting bodies becomes rougher and wrinkled. The color of the white truffle also changes depending on age - at the initial stage of ripening the mushrooms are light, whitish-yellow, however, in older specimens the skin darkens. Over time, it acquires a reddish-brown color, which makes the white truffle look like a potato.

The spore bags of this species are located in the fruiting body. The flesh of young specimens is almost white. Mature truffles are distinguished by their grayish flesh with yellowish-brown veins, and their core is harder than the edges. The smell intensifies as the fruiting body develops - at the last stage of ripening they smell pleasantly of nuts.

Below is a cross-sectional photo of a white truffle.

How does a white truffle grow?

This species grows underground at a depth of 6-10 cm. Occasionally, the top of the mushroom lifts the soil, resulting in the formation of a small mound with cracks above it. The fruiting body itself above the ground surface can be seen even less often.

The white truffle bears fruit irregularly; empty seasons often occur.The harvest is harvested from the end of July to October, sometimes the harvest time extends until November.

Advice! Very often, the high yield of white truffle coincides with the abundant fruiting of porcini mushrooms.

Where does the white truffle grow?

In its natural environment, the mushroom grows in Europe. The area of its greatest distribution is in France, Switzerland and Italy. In Russia, this species is not found so often, however, sometimes fruiting bodies can be found in the European part of the country. The following areas are considered mushroom spots:

Moscow region;
Vladimirskaya;
Orlovskaya;
Leningradskaya.

Also, white truffle grows in Russia in the Tula region, but cases of finding fruiting bodies in this area are rare.

The preferred soil type is sandy and clayey, with average moisture. You should look for the harvest in young coniferous and mixed forests under birch, oak, aspen and hazel. Particular attention is paid to areas with sparse vegetation and sparse leaf litter.

Mushroom pickers also focus on additional signs of mushroom places - very often midges hover over the truffle mycelium. In particular, the aroma of the mushroom is especially attractive to red flies. In addition, sometimes the location of the mycelium is revealed by small tubercles on the surface of the soil, which are covered with small faults.

The color of the soil is also important - above the white truffle it is grayish, as if the ground was sprinkled with a small amount of ash.

Important! The climatic conditions of the Moscow region make it possible to grow white truffles in the country.

Is it possible to eat Russian white truffle?

The Russian white truffle, also called the Trinity truffle for many centuries, is considered an edible mushroom, like its famous Tuscan variety.The taste of the pulp allows us to classify the mushroom into the fourth category - it is a delicacy with a high price. The flesh of the white truffle tastes like a nut or meat. Russian truffles have fruiting bodies that look more like chicken.

The smell of the pulp has nutty notes, sometimes mixed with the aroma of roasted seeds.

Important! Mature mushrooms are most valued. Too young or overripe specimens have a less pronounced taste, which affects their cost.

Benefits of white truffle

The benefits of this mushroom are due to its rich vitamin composition. The pulp contains:

vitamin C, PP;
B vitamins;
antioxidants;
healthy carbohydrates;
proteins;
pheromones.

When eaten, the mushroom has a beneficial effect on the human body, namely:

improves blood composition;
helps in the treatment of gout, gastritis and chronic colitis;
has an antiviral effect;
strengthens the immune system;
normalizes metabolism;
restores intestinal microflora.

It cannot cause any obvious harm to health; however, it is not recommended to eat this mushroom for small children and pregnant women. Despite all the benefits, it is a rather difficult product to digest.

White truffle has also found wide application in cosmetology, where it is used as a central component of oils, creams and masks for skin and hair. The benefits of truffle juice and pulp of fruiting bodies from this point of view are as follows:

mushroom extract has a beneficial effect on age wrinkles;
helps reduce hyperpigmentation;
products based on it have tightening properties.

Important! Freshly squeezed truffle juice helps in the treatment of glaucoma and many other eye diseases.

Which truffle is more expensive – white or black?

White truffles are much less common than black truffles, which is the reason for such a high price. On average, the price for 1 kg of mushrooms can reach 3-4 thousand euros. The black subspecies is estimated at 1-2 thousand dollars per 1 kg.

Important! Only those mushrooms that have a pedigree indicated can be put up for truffle auctions. It notes the exact weight, the name of the search animal, as well as the location of the tree under which the truffle mushroom was found.

False doubles of Russian white truffle

It is very difficult to confuse the white truffle with other mushrooms, but sometimes melanogaster Bruma is collected instead. A double is distinguished by the black color of its core.

Despite the pleasant fruity aroma, this mushroom is not eaten.

Another similar variety is the deer truffle. It has a red-brown color and is covered with warty formations.

The mushroom is considered inedible for humans, however, forest animals can eat it without harm to health.

Finally, sometimes the white truffle is confused with scleroderma vulgaris (also common puffball). Mushrooms are distinguished by their yellowish surface color and dark core. This species also smells unpleasant.

The fruiting bodies of scleroderma are inedible, as they contain small amounts of toxic substances.

Rules for collecting white truffles in Russia

Since the 15th century, specially trained animals have been used to search for white truffles - dogs and pigs, which can cost about 5 thousand euros. Without them, it is almost impossible to detect this species.

Pigs (male) can smell the truffle smell from 10-20 m away and do not need special training, since the aroma of the mushrooms reminds them of the smell of the female.On the other hand, using them is risky - a hungry pig can eat the find. To prevent this from happening, animals should be muzzled.

In dogs, females are much better at smelling the truffle scent than males. Unlike pigs, they do not eat mushrooms, but their training takes a lot of time.

Advice! It is better to look for mushrooms at night - during this period, the sense of smell of search animals is sharpened due to the increased humidity.

You can learn more about how to collect white truffles in the Moscow region from the video below:

How to grow white truffle at home

It is quite possible to grow this mushroom yourself. In particular, the Moscow region is suitable for growing white truffles. They do this according to this scheme:

You need to purchase truffle mycelium from a specialized store. Since the species is quite rare, its price will be high, so it is better to use the mycelium found, if you are lucky enough to find it.
With the help of white truffle mycelium, hazel or hawthorn growths are infected. In general, any trees and shrubs with which this species can form mycorrhiza are suitable: oak, birch, aspen, pine, etc.
As soon as the mushrooms germinate, you need to wait about two weeks - during this time the mycelium will grow and take root in the roots of the plant.
After the seedlings are infected, the shoots continue to be grown in a special nursery, which is kept under quarantine conditions.
Next year, the truffle mycelium will grow and completely infect the substrate with mycelium. During this time, the growths can grow by 20-25 cm. At this point, the germination of white truffles is considered complete.

Important! Further care for mushrooms comes down to applying NPK fertilizers, killing weeds with herbicides and watering. If the fruiting bodies become bare, they should be lightly sprinkled with soil.

How to cook white truffle

White truffle can be used to prepare many different dishes, but it is rarely used as a main ingredient. Most often, the pulp is used in the form of a supplement, and the average weight of the product used is only 8 g.

Spaghetti and pasta with white truffle oil are popular in Italy. In France, fruiting bodies are used for preservation by marinating in wine and pouring Provençal oils.

White truffle sauce based on butter can be prepared according to the following scheme:

Place 250 g of butter in a deep container and leave to soften.
Washed white truffles (40 g) are finely grated and mixed with 2 tbsp. l. green onions. In addition to the mushrooms, add finely chopped herbs to taste and 1 tsp. Provençal herbs. Ground black pepper adds spiciness to the sauce.
All this is mixed with oil and the resulting mass is sprinkled with ½ tsp. salt.
The mixture is brought to a homogeneous state and placed on foil. Then it is made into a small sausage and given an even shape.
Place the sauce preparation in the freezer for 30 minutes.

At this point the preparation can be considered complete. The product has a long shelf life and goes well with many dishes.

The primary treatment of fruiting bodies is that they are thoroughly washed in cold water, then poached in wine and cleaned. Heat treatment of mushrooms should not be too long; just keep them in a preheated oven for five minutes. In general, white truffles are best served raw. To do this, they are thoroughly cleaned and cut very thin.

How to store white truffle

Fresh mushrooms have a very short shelf life, which is why it is recommended to cook them soon after they are found. This is why the harvested crop is sold out so quickly, and in restaurants you can try fresh mushrooms only during the fruiting season.

In order to preserve the nutritional quality of the fruiting bodies for at least six months, white truffles are dried or pickled. Additionally, you can extend the shelf life if you immerse the mushrooms in oil or rice. It is also possible to freeze the collected fruiting bodies, but this method is not used so often.

The best way to store white truffles is artificial drying. This process looks like this:

First of all, the mushrooms must be cut into thin slices - their thickness should not exceed 4-5 mm. Under no circumstances should you wash the crop before cutting, otherwise the fruiting bodies will absorb excess moisture. All dirt and debris are removed using a soft brush or cloth.
To prevent the truffle slices from starting to rot, they should not touch each other. Additionally, they are strung on a knitting needle.
The mushrooms are dried directly in the oven, placing them on a wire rack. When using a baking sheet, line it with parchment beforehand.
The oven temperature is set to 40-50°C, but there is no need to close the door completely - otherwise the mushrooms will not dry, but bake. It is also advisable to turn on the convection mode if the oven design provides for it. Turn the slices over from time to time.
You can tell when a white truffle is ready by the state of its pulp. It should become brittle, but not crumble.
When the truffle slices are dry, they are placed in cotton bags. Before cooking, fill the mushrooms with water.After soaking, they acquire the taste and appearance of fresh truffles.

Advice! Dried white truffles attract flies. To protect mushrooms from insects, the baking sheets are covered with a double layer of gauze.

Another popular way of preparing white truffles is pickling. Fruiting bodies are preserved according to the following scheme:

1 kg of mushrooms are thoroughly washed and sprinkled with 1 tsp. salt. After this, the fruiting bodies are mixed to evenly distribute the salt.
The next step is to place the truffles in clay pots.
Then ½ tbsp. vinegar is mixed with the same amount of red wine and the resulting mixture is poured into pots. Cover them tightly with foil and put them in the oven for 1-2 hours.
When the heat subsides a little, the pots are left for a day in a warm place, after which they are again placed in the oven for a couple of hours. This process is repeated for four days.
Then the pots are opened and filled with water to the very edge. The mushrooms are mixed and after 20-30 minutes the liquid is poured into the pan. The truffles are left to drain in a colander.
The dried mushrooms are transferred to a ceramic container. At this time, the drained mushroom juice is mixed with a small amount of salt and spices. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil and truffles are poured into it.
In this form, the mushrooms are left to cool. Then they are laid out in jars, filled to the top with brine and 1-2 tbsp added. l. olive oil. The liquid level should be 2 cm above the mushroom mass.

At this point, the process of marinating white truffles can be considered complete. The jars are tightly closed and stored in a cool, dry place. In winter, pickled white truffles are used as an additive to various dishes.

Important! This harvesting method is somewhat inferior to drying in the sense that the mushroom pulp partially loses its taste. On the other hand, this difference is small.

Conclusion

White truffle is not so easy to find in Russia. Firstly, this is an extremely rare mushroom, and secondly, it grows underground. This is why it is almost impossible to detect fruiting bodies without specially trained animals; however, trained dogs and pigs are very expensive. For this reason, it is more profitable to grow white truffle yourself, although this mushroom is quite capricious - it makes high demands on air temperature and soil humidity.

In Russia, white truffle can be grown in the European part of the country. In particular, the climate of the Moscow region is suitable for these purposes. The harvest is very small, however, the high cost of the fruiting bodies fully pays for the time and effort spent.

You can learn more about white truffle from the video below:

Name:	Truffle
Type:	Edible