Most people loathe the start of winter, but for truffle farmers Andres and Lynette Haas the first frosts and cold mornings signal the start of truffle season.
On their truffiere at Wattle Flat, north of Ballarat, the truffles growing underground on the roots of about 1000 innoculated oak trees only start to ripen with the cold.
“Truffle season is winter, normally June, July and August, but historically we do usually get a truffle in the last week of May,” Mr Haas said.
“But this year’s long, protracted summer and warm autumn weather will have an influence.
“We’re not sure what that influence will be but truffles need frost or really cold air to start the final ripening process.”
It will be the first full truffle season for the Haas’ truffle finder Nala, a two-year-old labrador trained to detect the scent of the truffles growing underground.
“Truffles are found naturally by pigs who are attracted to the scent which is similar to a boar,” Mr Haas said.
“But the danger of losing fingers to a 200kg sow who will do anything to get to the source of the scent makes trained dogs a much more sensible option.”
The Haas’ have been on their truffle farm for 11 years, and producing truffles for six with the number and weight of truffles increasing each year.
“Production doesn’t quite double but increases 70 to 80 per cent each year. Last year we produced about 30kg, this year we are expecting about 50kg and will be happy with anything between 40 and 60kg,” he said.
The Haas’ run truffle tours, truffle hunts, a cafe and supply truffles to local restaurants in addition to a select number of chefs in Melbourne and Geelong.
Truffle season is also underway in Canberra, with the Canberra Region Truffle Festival season kicking off and running over 10 weekends to August.
As such, the hunt will soon be on at Tarago Truffles, with owner-managers Cr Denzil and Anne Sturgiss gearing up for another season.
“This year the festival is celebrating its 10th year of promoting that fabulous fungi – the black winter truffle,” Mrs Sturgiss said.
