Mushroom picking has become one of the most popular things to do on the Mornington Peninsula. If you’re looking for something new to do and want to go on an adventure, you can try foraging for various types of mushrooms and truffles. Head over to Main Ridge and Red Hills to experience the thrill of the hunt!
Main Ridge Truffles
Established in 2010, Main Ridge Truffles is a local family-owned business known for growing some of the finest truffles on the Peninsula. Surrounded by vineyards, orchards, and rolling hills, Main Ridge produces world-class truffles including black Victorian winter (Périgord) and white (Borchii/Bianchetto) truffles.
Every winter, you’ll find these black and white tubers hiding under the cover of Oak, Pine and Hazelnut trees. These truffles are then unearthed, with the help of their trusty hunter “Pino”, an Italian truffle dog. Truffles are difficult to find from the surface and can only be located with the help of Pino’s incredible talent.
Main Ridge Truffles not only supply their crops on the Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne’s finest restaurants, they have also opened their doors to the public so you can enjoy these delicious truffles and experiment with them in your home.
Level up your culinary repertoire by simply grating the truffles on your favourite cheese, add them to your omelettes, sprinkle them on your pizza or in risotto – or if you’re feeling fancy, you can even add them to your vodka for a truly different experience. The possibilities are endless!
Red Hill Truffles
If you are up for a wild truffle hunting adventure, Red Hill Truffles is the way to go.
Red Hill Truffles is located on a family-owned property since 1864. In March 2005, Jenny and her husband Mike decided to experiment with growing Perigold black truffle (melanosporum) with the first planting of 300 trees. They discovered their first truffle in 2010 while hunting under a hazelnut tree. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Today, you can experience the thrill of hunting for truffles with Jenny McAuley and her dog, Thomas. They will show you the truffière and will let you forage under an oak or hazelnut tree. But don’t worry, Thomas is going to guide you as he locates the scent and tracks down these elusive truffles.
Once they are located, you can dig them up yourself and have the opportunity to smell the exquisite aroma of freshly dug truffles. The best part is, you can purchase them and take them home with you to experiment with for your next dish.
