Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where in
the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...

In article ,
"Zara Henderson" Zara@Henderson writes:
|
| Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where in
| the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

It is possible, but the requisite combination of soils and summer
heat does not really occur in the UK. We are just a bit too cold
for them.

And that is Tuber melanosporum (the black truffle). We are far
too cold for Tuber magnatum (the white truffle). There may be
some worthless truffles native to the UK, and just possibly the
marginal Tuber aestivum (the summer truffle).

Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

They are prolific down in the Dordogne.......
http://fi.franceguide.com/magazine/article.asp?idc=6667

Jenny :~))

The message
from "Zara Henderson" Zara@Henderson contains these words:

Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where in
the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

If it were possible they wouldn't command such a high price.

You *MIGHT* find some if you knew where to look and what to look for,
and the characteristic odour.

You'd need to find old beechwoods over chalk, in the south of England,
or better, in France. (But you might not be welcomed in France....)

Truffle gatherers train dogs or pigs to sniff for them. I've been
collecting fungi for more than fifty years, and never found a
truffle.....

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:
In article ,
"Zara Henderson" Zara@Henderson writes:
|
| Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where in
| the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

It is possible, but the requisite combination of soils and summer
heat does not really occur in the UK. We are just a bit too cold
for them.

And that is Tuber melanosporum (the black truffle). We are far
too cold for Tuber magnatum (the white truffle). There may be
some worthless truffles native to the UK, and just possibly the
marginal Tuber aestivum (the summer truffle).

Summer truffle is rated as good, but is also rare. Regular commercial
truffle-hunting ceased with the retiral of the last of the hunters in
1935.

The white truffle is (AFAIK) only found in warm climates, but is fairly
common in the right conditions in Mediterranian countries, and
stretching through Arabia to other parts of Asia. Pity, because they are
easier to find, they very often grow partially above the surface.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Thu, 20 May 2004 15:01:18 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:


Truffle gatherers train dogs or pigs to sniff for them. I've been
collecting fungi for more than fifty years, and never found a
truffle.....

I once went truffle hunting in the New Forest...and found a pig!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in reply
after "Zara Henderson" wrote:
|
| Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where
in
| the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

It is possible, but the requisite combination of soils and summer
heat does not really occur in the UK. We are just a bit too cold
for them.

And that is Tuber melanosporum (the black truffle). We are far
too cold for Tuber magnatum (the white truffle). There may be
some worthless truffles native to the UK, and just possibly the
marginal Tuber aestivum (the summer truffle).

I seem to remember seeing some years ago a property for sale somewhere in
southern England that said it had a young wood with the tree roots seeded
with Black Truffle spawn giving the possibility of cropping truffles in the
distant future. Which leads me to believe it might be possible to cultivate
them although it is still probably hit and miss (even in a more suitable
climate) and a long drawn out affair.

--
Regards
Bob

Some photos of my plants at.....

In article ,
Bob Hobden wrote:

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in reply
after "Zara Henderson" wrote:
|
| Is it possible to cultivate truffles or do they only grow wild,& where
in
| the UK can I find truffles growing wild?

It is possible, but the requisite combination of soils and summer
heat does not really occur in the UK. We are just a bit too cold
for them.

And that is Tuber melanosporum (the black truffle). We are far
too cold for Tuber magnatum (the white truffle). There may be
some worthless truffles native to the UK, and just possibly the
marginal Tuber aestivum (the summer truffle).

I seem to remember seeing some years ago a property for sale somewhere in
southern England that said it had a young wood with the tree roots seeded
with Black Truffle spawn giving the possibility of cropping truffles in the
distant future. Which leads me to believe it might be possible to cultivate
them although it is still probably hit and miss (even in a more suitable
climate) and a long drawn out affair.

You could and probably still can get innoculated trees. However,
we were on holiday in the Dordogne and went to the truffle museum
there. I didn't read EVERY word, but I came pretty close, and it
was pretty clear that what I said above is correct.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Well, despite all this speculation about whether it is possible to
find or grow truffles in the UK. I used to know an old chappy who
collected them (the black truffle) locally, but stoutly refused to
tell which woodland produced them. There are several coastal beech
woods overlying limestone about here, but searching for truffles
without knowing which wood produces them is like searching for a
needle in a haystack. To the untrained eye and uninitiated at least.

I've been in my local in late autumn, when he had been out with his
dog and returned with a bag containing a dozen or so 10p. diameter
truffles. Not big by Dordoigne standards, but respectable
nevertheless. A local Deli paid handsomely for these and for a brief
while, gained a reputation for 'local wild black truffles!'

Both 1989 and 1990 gave very hot summers here on Torbay and the old
fellah made a pretty penny as a result of good 'crops'. He gave me a
very fine tuber and it went into some very posh omelettes and a
wonderful pate. The shavings were soaked in oil which lasted for a
couple of years in the fridge. He did promise that he might let me
know where to search, but sadly died in 1992 without revealing his
secret. Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.


Dave Poole
Torquay, Coastal South Devon UK
Winter min -2°C. Summer max 34°C.
Growing season: March - November
Drop 's' when mailing

"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...

...He did promise that he might
let me
know where to search, but sadly died in 1992 without revealing his
secret. Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked.

Now all you have to do is find them. Are the local woodlands
managed by the Wildlife Trust or the Woodland Trust? If so, the
local warden might have an idea where they could be found.
--
Nick Wagg

The message
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message
...

...He did promise that he might
let me
know where to search, but sadly died in 1992 without revealing his
secret. Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked.

Now all you have to do is find them. Are the local woodlands
managed by the Wildlife Trust or the Woodland Trust? If so, the
local warden might have an idea where they could be found.

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message

[Truffles]

Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked. [...]

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

Truffles "want" to be eaten. Their spores survive the digestive
tract of animals. That's why they use imitation sex pheromones
to attract predators ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message

[Truffles]

Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked. [...]

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

Truffles "want" to be eaten. Their spores survive the digestive
tract of animals. That's why they use imitation sex pheromones
to attract predators ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message

[Truffles]

Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked. [...]

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

Truffles "want" to be eaten. Their spores survive the digestive
tract of animals. That's why they use imitation sex pheromones
to attract predators ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message

[Truffles]

Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked. [...]

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

Truffles "want" to be eaten. Their spores survive the digestive
tract of animals. That's why they use imitation sex pheromones
to attract predators ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote or quoted:
from "Nick Wagg" contains these words:
"Dave Poole" wrote in message

[Truffles]

Pity because we've had a fair number of hot summers here
since and its a shame to think of those culinary delights sitting
going to waste.

Not a total waste, surely. Won't they be producing more offspring
than they would have done once they had been picked. [...]

As the truffles themselves are the fruit-bodies, leaving them will not
all to the number to be found in subsequent years on that site, though
it might result in distant clones being established elsewhere.

Truffles "want" to be eaten. Their spores survive the digestive
tract of animals. That's why they use imitation sex pheromones
to attract predators ;-)
--
__________
|im |yler http://timtyler.org/ Remove lock to reply.