PROCESSING

Our preserves taste homemade, and we are obsessively attentive to customer service. These are the two fundamental principles that guide our truffle manufacturing process. All the steps of the entire production process are carried out inside our establishment in Acqualagna, from the collection and selection of the best fresh truffles to cleaning, cutting, and grinding, and cooking according to traditional local recipes, sterilization, and final packaging. Acqualagna Tartufi is able to control the entire production chain, starting from the collection of truffles in its truffle groves or territory by means of expert quarrymen, passing through its factory for the processing and packaging of the product, and finally arriving at the consumer’s table through its commercial distribution.

COLLECTIONS AND SELECTIONS

Our company enjoys, first of all, the advantage of being located in the only territory in the world where a continuous collection of truffles is carried out, varied in the 9 existing types; it is no coincidence that Acqualagna has been named the Capital of fresh truffles all year round. Once collected by the main quarrymen of the area or in our truffle groves cultivated with superior black and scorzone, the truffles are selected manually, paying particular attention to them. They are then categorized by aroma, size (determining the tuber’s shape and size) and quality. The top-notch ones are destined to serve customers that want fresh or frozen truffles, while the smaller or less uniform ones (2nd rate and 3rd rate) are destined for processing. To make a good selection of the superior tuber, it is not necessary to focus on its visual appearance but how they smell and feel. The truffle must, in fact, be quite hard to the touch, a sign of freshness; on the contrary, a truffle which, when crushed is unstable, generally hides a rot and is often worm-eaten. The sense of smell has an even more subtle task, discovering a good superior white truffle: in the aromatic composition of Tuber Magnatum Pico, the mushroom, honey, hay, garlic, spices, wet earth, and ammonia are in perfect balance, with great delicacy.

CLEANING

After being selected based on the customer’s needs, the fresh truffle is brushed or washed to eliminate any residual soil. The aroma is in the truffle, so you have to do everything possible to keep it at its peak. Therefore, our cleaning consists in eliminating the most significant layer of earth; the truffle is brushed but not perfectly cleaned because the earth residues create a protective layer for the truffle, allowing it to preserve its aroma and, at the same time, continue maturing. Through a more careful washing (the goods destined for export to the United States, for example, must be washed compulsorily); we eliminate all traces of earth, but we completely expose the truffle to the air, compromising, in part, its conservation time and retention of the aroma. The complete cleaning of the light layer of earth that protects the peridium blocks the truffle’s maturation and, at the same time, favors the proliferation of microorganisms.

SLIVERS, CREAMS AND FROZEN

After being cleaned, the truffle is ready to be sold, sliced, or ground (for preservation), or frozen. We can slice the truffle into round, thin flakes. In contrast, grinding chops up the truffle, thus obtaining the base used for the sauces. Our black truffles are never frozen like most foods as they would lose their organoleptic characteristics; instead, after being carefully washed and dried, they are vacuum packaged, quickly frozen in a blast chiller at a temperature of -40 ° C and stored in a holding cell at -20/-22 ° C.

COOKING, STORING AND STERILIZATION

All the natural ingredients are prepared and cooked by a food technologist following traditional recipes. We do not use industrial semi-finished products but only and exclusively top-notch raw materials. Concerning preserved products, we take maximum care in selecting the best natural ingredients, excluding dyes, preservatives, and GMOs from the start. Once cooked, the products are automatically transported to a dispenser, which, without ever coming into contact with hands and respecting the health regulations in force, pours the right amount of product indicated on the label into the jar. Immediately after, the jars pass into the capper, which seals the cap, creating the vacuum-seal. Finally, the jars are placed in an autoclave for sterilization at 121 ° C; the long conservation of our products is guaranteed by a careful encapsulation and sterilization process, eliminating any preservatives.

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING

The labelling of our products, that is, the regulation of the information about our foods, is a very important part and is subject to careful review and updating. Our labels are designed to adequately inform the consumer about the product’s characteristics, allowing them to choose the one that best meets their needs. In addition to the denomination, expiration date, place of production, list of ingredients, and nutritional values, our packages highlight all the allergens used in the product and the factory processes. All the information on our labels is produced in various languages, taking into consideration the various countries of destination. Our gourmet line packaging also contains useful tips for the preparation, cooking, and conservation of the product. All stored products are placed with great care in special boxes of 6 or 12 jars and then properly packaged and shipped. Maximum attention is given to the packaging of fresh truffles; after being wrapped in absorbent paper, the product is placed in isothermal containers equipped with cold accumulators internally.