Truffles, the fungi and not the chocolate treats, are highly prized food items. They are held in high esteem in Middle Eastern, French, Spanish, Italian and Greek cooking because of the exotic flavor they give to dishes.
They grow underground, usually under trees known for hosting them. Truffles come in different varieties, all of which hard to collect from nature, hence their hefty price tag. Furthermore, specially trained pigs and dogs are needed to locate them. While truffles are already being cultivated commercially, they remain valuable because of the time and effort it take to grow and extract them. No wonder they earned the monicker, “the diamonds of the kitchen.”
If you are planning to ship truffles to family or friends elsewhere, here are some tips on how to pack them properly to ensure that they will arrive fresh and in best condition.
Place each truffle inside a paper bag and seal it as tightly as possible. Never use plastic bags to store them as they will become moldy and go bad.
Put the wrapped truffles in an airtight container. You may use plastic containers just make sure that the truffles are well-covered with the paper bag. Direct contact with plastic may affect the taste of the truffles.
Fill the container with crumpled or shredded paper to prevent the truffles from moving during transit. Close the container, making sure that it is tightly sealed.
Place the container in a slightly larger shipping box with a lining of more crumpled or shredded paper, bubble wrap or packing peanuts on the bottom. Fill the empty spaces on all sides and top with more packing materials so that there is no way for the container to shift during transit.
Close the box and seal with packaging tape. Attach address and labels and take to your local post office or shipping company.