The black summer truffle, sometimes called the Scorzone truffle after its rough, bumpy appearance, has an earthy, slightly garlicky taste. As with all truffles, it can only be found during a short window of time every year—from April to September—in France, Spain, Italy, and in parts of the UK.
Canned or jarred truffles lose their aroma during sterilization, but truffles flash frozen at their peak ripeness late in the season keep about half their muskiness and almost all of their original flavor. This is what makes it excellent for chefs who want access to this ingredient even off-season.
Frozen truffles, once thawed, can be used like their fresh counterparts as slivers on fillets, in fondues, and in soups or diced and sautéed into pasta dishes and other savory preparations—all with a proper truffle slicer. For the truly inspired cuisiniere, we hear that they’re great in xiao long bao!
Take your truffles out of the freezer twenty minutes before you need them and clean them in a bit of cold water. Let them rest at room temperature (without letting them get too soft) for about ten minutes and—voila—they’re ready to be used in whatever way you wish!
Tartufi Morra has staked its name on truffle procurement since the 1930s, when the company spread word around the world about Alba’s beautiful white truffles. They began holding the Truffle Fair of Alba, marketing the desirable fungi once a year to such celebrated figures as Marilyn Monroe, Winston Churchill, and Hitchcock. They stand for Italian cuisine and bring their respect for truffles of all kinds into every part of their business.
Store in freezer.