Truffles!

[orchardhead]

Try not to get too envious but I have just found some Truffles under a Birch tree. I believe them to be Black truffles and a bit has been sent to Kew for species id.

The questions I have are:

Will they grow again in the same patch of soil ?

Should I have left some to grow bigger?

Uhmmm.......I believe I could get use to the taste.

Steve

[w.f.specialist]

Very interesting question steve............er where did you say that tree was? in Bath was it?.......

[orchardhead]

Ha ha ha......that is for me to know and you to guess at w.f.specialist.

I have just read in todays Independent that a White truffle weighing 750g was sold at a charity aution for £102,275 and that Harrods sells the white ones for £5,500. No idea what the Black truffles sell for but I shall not be posting a grid ref. just yet

On a serious note I like what you are doing with the wild food boxes....we live in interesting times.

Blessings on all you do.

Steve

[smile_sunshine]

wow lucky you - enjoy them :)
Found this a while back http://www.seedsofitaly.com/product/324
its actually selling trees with truffles but thought the care instructions might be useful for wild ones too?

[orchardhead]

Thank you. I've had a look and what they say is born out by my observations of where I found the truffles i.e. uncompacted soil and with a pH up to 8, as the soil is calcareous.

Steve

[Cheezy]

Try not to get too envious but I have just found some Truffles under a Birch tree. I believe them to be Black truffles and a bit has been sent to Kew for species id.

The questions I have are:

Will they grow again in the same patch of soil ?

Should I have left some to grow bigger?

Uhmmm.......I believe I could get use to the taste.

Steve

I believe that the black truffle will grow in the same area, hence why truffle hunters protect their area's, and keep the places secret. The truffle is just the fruit of the fungi, so you are alright to pick it. There are bound to be ones you did not see which might spore.
I have seen several prorgrams where people have found them, and there is absolutely no reason why they should'nt be in the UK if the conditions are right. It's just most people don't look for any edible mushrooms.
One question :they are difficult to see, hence why hounds and pigs are used to smell them out, were you "looking" for truffles or did you get lucky? and how did you see it?.

[orchardhead]

Hi Cheezy,

Sorry for tardy response, techy problems.

Thanks for the information.

I was lucky. I was working in a garden removing some weeds and these things appeared. They looked very like soil concretions if that is the right word and easy to dismiss as either soil or perhaps a seed cone. But something made me take a second look and them the penny dropped. I had not seen one before but am now confident I would instantly recognise them.

Their presence certainly brightened up my working day.

Thanks again.

Steve