What are some tips for finding truffles?

Truffles can grow anywhere that trees are, with the exception of maples and cedars. Truffles fruit 1 to 6 inches beneath leaf litter throughout fall, winter and spring, depending on location. Signs of small animals digging in the area is a good indication that truffles may be present.

Gently raking back leaf litter and 3 to 4 inches of topsoil with a four-tine garden rake reveals any present truffles. The fruits resemble small, wrinkly potatoes colored beige, yellow or reddish brown. In Europe, pigs were traditionally used to sniff out truffles, but dogs have now become popular as truffle hunters because they can be trained to find the fruits without eating them.