Tuber brumale or Winter black truffle

Description
Tuber brumale or Winter black truffle, is a variety of truffle widespread in France and Italy, as well as in the Balkans and Greece. A species of fairly high commercial value. Its aroma is strong, aggressive but very pleasant and sweet, reminiscent of corn tree bark (Cornus sanguinea), its taste is intense, sweet and pleasant.
Tuber brumale bears fruit at an altitude of 200-1000 meters, underground at a depth of 5-30 cm, in limestone soils, in broad-leaved forests, mainly hazel and lime trees. It is harvested from the end of November to the beginning of March. It is usually the size of a walnut, from 1-5 cm and weighs from 30-100 gr, its shape is irregularly spherical, sometimes with a flat base, with pyramidal protrusions that have 5-6 faces and come off easily. It is black in color, sometimes reddish at the base. The flesh of Tuber brumale Winter Black Truffle is whitish at first, and gray-black at maturity, with thick but sparse branching that does not change color when exposed to air. It has a strong and pleasant aroma reminiscent of wood.
Preservation of fresh truffle
The cleaned truffle is kept as well as the one we keep in the ground, under the following conditions:
Truffles should never be kept in water.
They should not remain in water before cleaning.
Brushing should be done under drinking water.
Wiping after washing (very important) should be done in a cool place so that the temperature difference between drying and storage is as small as possible.

Storing the truffle
Truffles absorb oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide along with aromatic substances. At a temperature of about 0 degrees Celsius, not much lower, respiration and oxidation are minimized. However, the longer they remain in such conditions, the more aroma they lose. For the proper storage and preservation of the truffle after collection, the largest amount of soil is cleaned and a thin layer is left for better preservation. They are washed and brushed only when they are to be used to avoid the risk of deterioration.
Origin Greece.