They can be harvested all year round, depending on the area and truffle species. How Are They Prepared for Cooking? Of course, you have to clean a truffle first before cooking it. Usually, it is washed with water and then brushed to get rid of soil deposits. Make sure that its covering is clean because you are not supposed to peel it. Instead, you slice or shave them over risotto, soups, sauces, pasta, and even plain scrambled eggs. Transform your bland dishes into flavorful and appetizing ones! There is a wide variety of truffle recipes that you can experiment at your own kitchen. You don t have to a chef to do that! All you need are a little knowledge of how to work the truffle s magic. Summer truffle- found in France, Italy and Spain. It is black outside and off-white on the inside. Tuscan truffle- its color is usually chocolate brown and white. Including truffles to your menu will surely impress family, friends and even boost your cooking skills. They may be hard to find and expensive to use frequently, but the culinary experience would definitely be worth it. Enlist the help of your animal friends Dogs and pigs are the most common animals used for hunting truffles for their uncanny sense of smell that can detect the presence of truffles in an area. Yes, you can even train your dog to sniff out truffles. You can start with making your canine friend retrieve a ball, then replace it with cheese. There are particular truffles which are considered higher in value compared with other species, like the white truffle. The lowest value for truffles was in 1992, when it reached $350 for each pound. Its most expensive was when each pound costs $2000. The most expensive was the white truffle weighing 3.3 pounds purchased for $330,000. An example would be a truffle company in North Carolina, the Garland s Gourmet Mushrooms and Truffles who have been in the truffle business since 1990s. Although, most truffles could be found in the wild, history showed that they were cultivated during 1800s in France. However, the First World War caused serious damage on the truffle cultivation.