A short guide to cleaning truffles

USEFUL TOOLS FOR CLEANING TRUFFLES

Naturally, truffles come from the earth and therefore must be thoroughly cleaned to remove all potential impurities.
Cleaning truffles isn’t just a matter of hygiene and sanitation, but it also allows you to fully enhance the flavor of this underground fungus.

The most useful tools for cleaning are undoubtedly the following:

• A toothbrush: its bristles vary depending on the type of truffle being treated. For example, if we’re talking about black truffles, the brush should be semi-hard for its greater resistance, while for white truffles, a softer bristle is recommended, as they are very delicate.
• a knife: generally, it is preferable to use a knife with a rounded tip to avoid ruining the truffle, as it would deteriorate more quickly, thus compromising its flavor.
• a trickle of water
• a clean rag

How to clean truffles is not just a matter of hygiene and health, but it allows you to fully enhance all the flavor that comes from this underground fungus.

The process isn’t complex, but you do need to be very careful. Once you’ve picked up the brush, wet it with a gentle stream of water and carefully brush the truffle to try to remove all impurities and dirt residue.

Only if some soil remains embedded in the truffle, can you take the knife and help yourself with its tip.
These operations are generally recommended for precise cleaning of the truffle.

If the truffle is excessively dirty with dirt, we can help by immersing it in cold water for up to a minute, drying it and then brushing it.
The cleaning process must be done very delicately without damaging or detaching part of the peridium, or the external part of the truffle.

Cleaning the black truffle, black summer truffle, scorzone truffle

If we take the black truffle into consideration, we must consider that the rind is rather irregular.
This crust causes the formation of encrustations that hide in the narrowest crevices, where it is difficult to reach with the bristles of the toothbrush.

If this situation occurs, you can first use the knife in the most unreachable crevices, then rub more vigorously, without damaging the external part of the truffle or, better yet, the peridium.
If the scale is still present, we can use cold water… but be careful, never hot!

The white truffle, unlike the black one, is on average much more delicate.
If in this case, the white truffle is dirty, it is advisable to remove any soil residue and impurities, using only the toothbrush.

But we recommend paying close attention because the outside of the truffle is very soft.
Only if there are still some impurities left, we can take the knife but with great care.
Absolutely avoid using water, even if it is cold and in small quantities.