So you've purchased yourself a fresh truffle from the Mediterranean countryside, and you can't wait to prepare your first delicious truffle meal. But before you begin you might wonder how exactly to go about storing and preparing such a delicacy. Well, worry not, as we have prepared a step by step guide to ensure your truffle is kept fresh.

What Truffles Are There?

There are two kinds of truffle types: black and white. The finest black truffles grow in the Périgord region of France, while the most exquisite white truffles are found in the Piedmont region of Italy's countryside. Truffles grow in the winter months between November and March, and should always be eaten at the peak of their ripeness for the best tasting results.

How do I store My Truffles?

To ensure that the Truffles you purchase are kept fresh, keep them refrigerated inside of a tightly sealed container, preferably surrounded by other food that will absorb their flavour, such as a precooked serving of pasta or rice. This is necessary to ensure that the truffle doesn't decay from exposure to the moisture resulting from inside a fridge.

Alternatively, truffles can be retained inside of an airtight jar alongside several eggs. This is because the shells will absorb the unique aroma of the truffle meaning that these eggs can then be made into a delicious recipe of their own, ensuring none of your delicious truffle will go to waste.

How Do I Prepare to Cook my Truffle?

Preparing your truffle correctly before cooking is very important as there are different methods of cooking necessary for different types of truffle. Black truffles need to be peeled before being eaten raw or lightly cooked. However, white truffles do not need cooking, instead they only need to be wiped clean of soil residue before being sliced onto an already prepared dish as a form of garnish to give the recipe an additional flavoursome kick. White truffles have a distinctive taste of pepper so it's vital you don't use too much when completing a recipe, just a little amount of white truffle sprinkled over an omelette, pasta, scrambled eggs, or risotto can change your meal into something unlike anything you've tasted before. You can even purchase cooking utensils designed for truffle slicing.

Truffle Oil and Butter

Truffle oil is the next best thing to a real truffle. Made to taste just like a genuine truffle, truffle oil can be added to pasta, risotto and salad dishes, or enjoyed as a dressing or sauce.

When it comes to recreating that delicious all natural taste of truffles, adding a little bit of high quality truffle butter to a meal can make a huge difference. Truffle butter contains small pieces of real truffle which allows all kinds of dishes to release that unmistakable truffle taste without your having to cook one.

With so many different kinds of truffle based delicacies on the market, there has never been a more convenient time to try the incredible taste for you.