Black Summer Truffle - Tuber aestivum

Description
The black summer truffle has a diameter of 2-14 cm and a weight of up to 500 gr, its shape is irregularly spherical with large pyramidal protrusions that usually have 6 faces. Its color is brown-black. Its clod is firm and hard, initially whitish, light-brown and at maturity soft dark-brown with many creamy-white branches, like veins which do not change color in contact with air. Tuber aestivum grows quite superficially and we can detect them from the cracks created on the surface of the soil. Black summer truffles are usually harvested from May to July, but we can harvest them until December if the humidity conditions are right. Tuber aestivum prefers sunny exposures and clearings, they coexist with the roots of many trees such as oaks (Quercus), beeches (Fagus sylvatica), poplars (Populus), hazelnuts (Corylus), pines (Pinus) and limes (Tilia).

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.