Winter is truffle season, and there’s plenty of the culinary delicacy growing (and being consumed) in the ACT and surrounding New South Wales region.
One truffle grower in the region is Wayne Haslam, who runs Blue Frog Truffle Farm just north of Canberra, in Sutton.
“It’s got to be the most exotic culinary aroma that there is really. It’s just astounding,” Mr Haslam told CD.
“It’s so versatile in its uses in the kitchen.
“In fact, the black truffle they refer to as the diamond of the kitchen, because it’s just so versatile, and it’s so easy to use.”
Mr Haslam said the truffle growing area around Canberra stretched from Robertson through to Jindabyne and right through the Southern Tablelands of NSW.
There are also several growers within Canberra.
“The special thing about this area is that the climate very closely matches the best production areas of Europe,” Mr Haslam said.
“So we’ve got the right climate, and we’ve got the right growing conditions.
“Truffles need a pH (level) of seven-and-a-half to eight in the soil. So we have to modify the soil with the addition of lime to bring the pH up to the right level.”
He said even those frosty, below-zero days we’ve had this winter have helped the truffles to grow.
“There’s a story going around that you need seven frosts before you start harvesting your truffles,” Mr Haslam said.
“And of course, in the Canberra area. You know, we light our fires on Anzac Day at the end of April, so you’ve got a good chance of getting seven frosts in before you start harvesting in mid-June.
“The harvest period in the area does vary slightly depending on the location and the particular microclimates that they have.
“You could probably get truffles from very early June right through to the end of August.”
Mr Haslam said the different aromatics in the truffle were dependent on the soil and the growing conditions.
Hunting for truffles
CD visited the Sutton truffiere (truffle orchard) to see how the delicacy is hunted.
Trained dogs lead the way, sniffing out the locations where truffles are ripe. Staff carefully assess their aroma and if mature, dig them up to prepare them for their culinary journey. If the truffles aren’t picked straight away, a flag is stuck into the ground so they know where to pick them from.
Once we stepped through the farm gate, we had to disinfect our footwear to prevent contamination.
Mr Haslam then led us through the orchard, teaching us about all things truffles! And a lot of the history is VERY interesting, but we’ll leave that for you to discover when you visit.
We then made our way to another staff member to watch how the truffles are found.
She was accompanied by a dog who sniffed around to find the truffles. When he located one, he scratched at the dirt. The staff member then used a metal spoon to dig the truffle up!
Once dug up, the dirt is washed off the truffles with a high-pressure hose. We were even lucky enough to get a piece of truffle to take home – and it was super delicious! Mine had a nutty macadamia-like taste which I have so far added to pasta and an omelette.
Members of the public can attend hunts on Sundays from 10am-noon, with only a few weeks left in the season to take part.
“We try and present a true farm experience for them,” Mr Haslam said.
“I teach them about the history of truffles and how to grow them and the experience on our farm here.
“Then do a little bit of tasting as to the best way to enjoy your truffle, and there are many ways that you can do that.”
Blue Frog Truffle Farm is located at 63 Goolabri Drive, Sutton NSW 2620.
Canberra Daily would love to hear from you about a story idea in Canberra and the surrounding region. Click here to submit a news tip.
Feeling social? Follow Canberra Daily: Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter) | Tik Tok | YouTube
