by Gail Kavanagh

Created on: May 17, 2010

Not all truffles are created equal. In spite of their rarity, some harvested truffles have to be discarded, for a variety of reasons. The truffles may be damaged during harvesting, or be too small or soft. But are they thrown away? Certainly not. Truffles are too expensive to waste, so specimens not suitable for market end up as truffle products.

Truffle products allow the less wealthy to enjoy truffles as an oil, butter, vinegar or paste. You won’t get the full bodied truffle flavor and texture, but when used in light dishes, truffle products can add some of that expensive flair to your dishes. You may find these truffle products hard to get, even if you live in a big city. But all of them can bought online if you look in the right place. One of the best places to start is to search Amazon - it sells gourmet foods as well as books!

Truffle oil is made by infusing olive oil with white truffles, and must be treated with care and used quickly, before the truffle flavor evaporates. The flavor is delicate and is destroyed by heat, or over time. The best way to use truffle oil is as a salad dressing or on slices of crusty Italian bread. The best truffle oil comes from Italy, and while the small bottles are relatively expensive, the quality, and earthy flavor it adds to your dishes is unsurpassed. You can buy Italian truffle oil from Amazon at a good price, or support a home grown truffle industry at Oregon Truffle Oil.

Truffle Butter is a truffle flavored spread that can be used on canapés, sliced French bread or pasta. Truffle butter is made by blending truffles with butter and adding seasoning. It can be added to simple dishes like omelet, mashed potatoes, and even macaroni and cheese for a gourmet spin on this homely treat. Anywhere you might use butter, such as under the skin of a roasting fowl, you can generally use truffle butter for added flavor and impact. You can buy French and Italian truffle butter from the Gourmet Food Store, or Bel Aria truffle butter from Amazon.

Truffle vinegar is made in a similar way to truffle oil, but by infusing truffles in good quality vinegar, such as balsamic or white wine, or a blend of both. Truffle vinegar is another way to add truffle flavor to a salad. Amazon has Jean LeBlanc truffle vinegar, or you can get French Black Truffle Vinegar by Plantin from Caviar and More.

Truffle Honey is made by infusing white or black truffles with honey. This creates a honey that is ideal for marinating meat and game birds,

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