As if the texture of truffles wasn't enough to convince you, how about the fact that the texture is very difficult to describe. To truly taste the unique and exotic flavor of truffles, you need to try them yourself. If you can, give black truffle sea salt a try. You may be surprised by what you find.
Truffle salt is made from a black truffle. The truffle contains a lot of the vein of melanin, which gives it a darker color. It is the black pigment that makes it impossible to make any kind of salt out of it. The key to making truffle salt is the way it is ground up. Those who have tried it swear by it and will never try another type of salt again.
The black truffle sea salt used to make this type of salt has a slightly bitter taste. While the taste of the real thing may be overpowering, the taste of this one is really quite pleasant. If you want to discover the true flavor of this "superfood" you should give it a try.
The process of making truffle salt is done in two steps. First the melanin vein is ground up into a fine powder.
Then the powder is put into a container and covered so it doesn't need to breathe. It sits for several months at room temperature until it gets dark.
The first step involves heating up some salt, which in many cases is an olive oil base salt. The reason it's an olive oil base is because it's a cheap and effective way to soften up the melanin vein.
Using a double boiler you heat up the ole oil base salt in the microwave. The heartier the salt, the longer it takes to get it into the double boiler. Be careful not to let the salt get too hot as that will kill it.
The second step involves mixing the salt with water. For the heavier blends you might want to add some more water. The darker the salt, the more water it needs.
This mix is then poured into a container and set out to cool. The melanin has developed a color so you don't want to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cool.
The next step involves mixing the salt and water together. The darker the salt, the more the mixture turns darker. You can do the mixing by hand, but a mixer is much better.
The last step involves allowing the mix to settle for a few hours. It will settle due to the buildup of a chemical called melamine. Melamine has a tendency to sink and so it is necessary to have it sink on its own.
The final step involves seeing how dark the salt has become. It will take at least twelve hours for the salt to darken fully. Once the salt has turned dark, it is ready to use as a salt.