In Spain, the black truffle harvesting season is regulated by law. As it is in most countries that are fortunate enough to have black truffles growing in the wild. In Spain, the black winter truffle season begins the 15th of November and ends the 15th of March.
People who hunt truffles in the wild are usually very quite about where their truffle producing trees are located. In days gone past, the exact locations was passed down from father to son as a family secret, no joke. Poachers were a constant threat, stealing this valuable tuber. Poachers still are a major threat even today.
In mid summer, a truffle hunter will usually take a stroll past his known black winter truffle producing trees. A black truffle growing close to the soils surface will make a bulge in the soils top soil layer. The truffle hunter will usually mark the spot in some inconspicuous way, maybe planting a few seeds of wheat or barley, placing a rock nearby or leaving a twig.
A black winter truffle producing tree, be it a holm oak or a downy oak, will have what is called a burn or brule around it. The top soil surrounding the trees trunk will have a burnt or bare area. The weeds in this area will have stunted growth or look as if they have been burned. This is the black winter truffle´s defense mechanism killing off the competition that is growing above it. The soil will also have a spongy feel to it when you walk on it, even thou the soil is dry.
The black winter truffle was hunted with a female pig ( sow ) originally. People use now dogs as they are easier to train and will eagerly hunt the black winter truffle as a game. A dog has no interest in eating the prized truffle, the sow wanted the tasty morsel for herself. There also exists a truffle fly. This fly will lay its eggs on the ripe truffle.The fly will then loiter around where it has laid its eggs. The truffle hunter will walk with a stick, disturbing the area in front of him with it. He usually walks with the sun to his back, that way he can see the fly easier. Once spotted the fly, the truffle hunter knows a ripe black truffle can not be to far away.
It is a really neat experience hunting the black truffle in the wild. But you can avoid all this is if you own your own black truffle farm. Black winter truffle farms are great way to make a living. Be the 1st in your neighborhood to own a black truffle farm.
Tags: truffles