Preserved Black Truffle: Peelings, Pieces & Frozen
The formats that travel without a cold chain and keep out of season — made from the same Tuber melanosporum, graded at origin in Teruel.
- No cold chain required
- Available outside the winter season
- Same species, same aroma
- Origin: Teruel, Spain
Why preserved formats exist
Fresh black truffle is a difficult product to trade: it is perishable, its window is days, and the cold chain is expensive and unforgiving. Preserved formats solve that. They are stable, they ship as ordinary goods, they do not shrink in transit and they are available when the fresh season is over.
They also solve a supply problem. Not every truffle that comes out of the ground is a well-shaped whole piece. Broken truffles and peeling trimmings carry exactly the same aroma as the graded Extra product — what they lack is appearance. Preserving them is what turns that difference from a loss into a product.
This matters at origin more than it might look. Around 90 per cent of Spain’s black truffle harvest leaves the country unprocessed, mostly for France, and the value added by transformation is captured elsewhere. Buying preserved formats direct from the growing region takes out a step that exists for historical reasons rather than good ones.
Formats available
| Peelings | Trimmings from peeling whole truffles. For oils, butters, sauces and fillings. Strong aroma, no shape. |
|---|---|
| Pieces | Broken truffles of good maturity, in brine or sterilised. For sauces, stuffings and prepared dishes. |
| Whole, canned | Whole graded truffles, sterilised. The presentation format where the piece is seen. |
| Frozen | Frozen whole or in pieces. Closest to fresh in aroma; needs freezer storage but no timed cold chain. |
| Freeze-dried | Lightest and longest-keeping format. For seasonings, blends and dry preparations. |
| Sliced | Pre-sliced in preserve, for service where plating speed matters. |
Yields and drained weights differ substantially between these formats. Ask for the specification sheet rather than comparing prices per unit.
Trade terms
| Minimum order | 12 units per format |
|---|---|
| Formats produced in-house | peelings, pieces and sliced are produced in-house; frozen and freeze-dried are made to order with a partner facility |
| Packaging and unit sizes | 25 g, 30 g and 50 g jars; 12 units per case |
| Shelf life | 36 months unopened for preserves; 6 months frozen at −18 °C |
| Private label | yes, from 300 units per format |
| Availability | All year. Production runs in season, stock ships out of season. |
Food safety and documentation
Preserved production is a different regulatory animal from selling fresh truffle: it needs a registered facility, and retail listings usually require third-party certification.
21.0000000/TE
none yet. IFS certification is planned for the 2027 campaign
Spanish, English, German and French; nutritional analysis supplied on request
Fresh black truffle, in season
From December to March the same harvest ships fresh, graded Extra, First and Pieces, by the kilo under cold chain.
Questions we get from trade buyers
Do preserved formats taste like fresh truffle?
Not identically. Sterilisation costs some of the volatile aroma, which is why preserved truffle is used in cooked and blended preparations rather than shaved raw. Frozen keeps closest to fresh. Freeze-dried keeps longest and concentrates differently.
Is the truffle in these formats lower quality?
It is lower grade by appearance, not by species or aroma. Pieces and peelings come from the same harvest of Tuber melanosporum as the whole graded product. What is being sold cheaper is shape.
Is truffle oil part of this range?
no. Trufaria does not sell truffle oil: most of what is sold as truffle oil on the market contains no truffle at all, only synthetic aroma compounds
Can you supply summer truffle in preserved formats?
Tuber aestivum preserves well and costs considerably less than Tuber melanosporum. It is a different species with a milder aroma, and it should be labelled as such. yes, Tuber aestivum in peelings and pieces, from May to August
Request specifications and a quotation
Tell us the format, the unit size and the annual volume you are planning. Specification sheets and samples are available for trade enquiries.