One hundred bulbs planted, six fragrant threads harvested. Oh, well. There's always next year. The discarded lavender petals to the left are a casualty of the saffron harvest. It can take 150,000 flowers to make up a kilo of dried saffron threads.
What can I do with six threads of saffron?
Precious red threads, plucked from my very own crocus sativus. The scent: earthy, vibrant, intoxicating.
But still, just six.
What would you do?
Use it to gild a few tablespoons of rice? Stir the threads into a simmering seafood broth with shrimp and mussels? Poach a ripe pear in white wine, saffron and a touch of vanilla? Make a saffron omelet?
A cup of tea?
One hundred bulbs and it’s come to this.
First a coven of cottontails nibbled five pots of tightly furled buds down to the nub. Drenching rains turned dozens more to sodden purple pulp. Some fat bulbs simply vanished, probably into the mouths of fat squirrels.
Oh yes. I wasn’t here at prime harvest time.
A saffron crocus in full bloom: The red stigmas are dusted with golden pollen, not a good thing since pollen can make saffron tasteless.
In the end two straggling crocus blossoms opened one sunny morning. Without a qualm, I ripped off their soft lavender petals, pinched off the bright red stigmas—three per flower—and laid the threads on a piece of parchment paper.
Five minutes in the oven on its lowest setting—175 degrees—and out they came, brittle and dry.
I sniffed. Nothing. Not a whiff. So I put them in a jar and walked away.
But the next morning, a revelation: I opened the jar and sniffed. The fragrance that welled up was intense, woodsy, smelling of honey, pepper and…could it be autumn leaves?
Not a moment to lose. I’m waiting for your ideas….
Comments (3)
i went and picked saffron for the first time last week. i love the way the flowers smell !!
i am up for some recipes !!
do you only use the threads after they are dry or when they are fresh also ?
Posted by marie pate | November 8, 2009 5:52 PM
Posted on November 8, 2009 17:52
Hi Marie,
Only when dry. In The Herb and Spice Bible, Ian Hemphill explains: "There is no flavor or aroma when the stigmas are fresh because these attributes only develop when the spice is cured (dried) to a moisture level of 12%." When drying at home, the trick is to not over-dry, especially in the oven since that can kill the flavor. Next time I will experiment with 3 instead of 5 minutes...Do try the Fish Stew with Saffron and Fennel, or the saffron rice with cinnamon and dried cherries. Both are amazing!
Posted by courtenay | November 9, 2009 7:02 AM
Posted on November 9, 2009 07:02
I really loved this. It has been very educational and useful. I will come back to check on upcoming posts.
Posted by Alfredo Barentine | March 5, 2010 10:13 PM
Posted on March 5, 2010 22:13