# Saffron "harvest"



## Lucretia (Oct 28, 2012)

I forget about the saffron crocuses in the yard until they start popping up this time of year with three lovely threads per blossom...


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They're still pretty little things after you pluck the threads.

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Put on a saucer and left on top of a warm oven to dry, and the whole kitchen smells of saffron. 

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## knyfeknerd (Oct 28, 2012)

Very pretty. Thanks for this. It's nice to see how beautiful the flower is.


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## chinacats (Oct 28, 2012)

Nice, thanks!


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## Lucretia (Oct 28, 2012)

I just wish you could smell it as it dries. It's pretty wonderful.


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## Lukas (Oct 28, 2012)

Bought some a week ago, 4 euros/gram.


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## Dusty (Oct 28, 2012)

Double post.


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## Dusty (Oct 28, 2012)

How do the flowers themselves taste?


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## DeepCSweede (Oct 28, 2012)

that is pretty great that you can grow your own saffron - congrats and thanks for sharing.


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## eaglerock (Oct 28, 2012)

Very nice, are they easy to grow ?


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Oct 28, 2012)

I can't wait to see what you do with them!


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## Deckhand (Oct 28, 2012)

Very nice post. Thanks for sharing.


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## Lucretia (Oct 29, 2012)

Dusty, I haven't tasted the flowers themselves. Have you heard if they are edible? 

eaglerock, they're very easy to grow (at least in our climate.) 1) Buy a bag of bulbs. 2) Dig a little hole about 10-15 cm deep. 3) Put the bulbs in roots down & cover them up. 4) Go have a beer to reward yourself for doing yardwork. That's it. I don't feed or water them. They bloom in the fall and put up some leaves that will disappear later. They multiply over time, but you only get saffron 3 threads per flower. I think we ended up with about a tablespoon of dried threads this year.

We ate some just the other day, but no pictures. Made some tomato cheese grits to go with some blackened salmon (simmer some tomatoes with saffron, thyme, salt & pepper, then throw in some grits and cook until grits are done. Top with grated cheese.) For those of you who aren't familiar with grits, they're somewhat similar to polenta.


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## Dusty (Oct 29, 2012)

I haven't heard either way, but I'd give them a go. I use a few different flowers for garnishes at work, wild onion, clover, rosemary... 

The purple of the saffron is quite striking, especially contrasted with the yellow of the stamen.


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## bieniek (Oct 29, 2012)

Nice photography and nice produce ma'am, thanks for the thread.


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## Cutty Sharp (Oct 29, 2012)

Very cool. Sorry Lucretia, you said saffron is easy to grow in your climate. Where are you? You say, 'within an hour of EE.' But what/where is EE?


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## Eamon Burke (Oct 29, 2012)

All non-poisonous plants are entirely non-poisonous, and vice versa.


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## Lucretia (Oct 29, 2012)

EE is Epicurean Edge, a knife store located in Kirkland, WA, USA, and a den of iniquity worthy of its own mention in the Forum Glossary. A wonderful place to fondle knives--many of mine were purchased there. At an hour away, it's entirely too close to where I live...I can't seem to walk in the door without dropping $$$. I'm overdue for a visit, but there's a Bill Burke sujihiki in clad 52100 and cocobolo that makes me drool, and I'm afraid to walk in the door there until it's sold.


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## Lucretia (Oct 29, 2012)

BurkeCutlery said:


> All non-poisonous plants are entirely non-poisonous, and vice versa.



Not necessarily true. Rhubarb stems are ok, the leaves are toxic. You can have poisonous parts on otherwise edible plants: if your potatoes have turned green, you want to trim it away before cooking because the green parts contain the toxin solanine. Time of year can even affect the toxicity of plants--you can eat the young spring leaves of pokeweed if you cook them; they'll be toxic later in the year


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## Andrew H (Oct 29, 2012)

Lucretia said:


> Not necessarily true. Rhubarb stems are ok, the leaves are toxic. You can have poisonous parts on otherwise edible plants: if your potatoes have turned green, you want to trim it away before cooking because the green parts contain the toxin solanine. Time of year can even affect the toxicity of plants--you can eat the young spring leaves of pokeweed if you cook them; they'll be toxic later in the year



That's what I thought, too.
Really cool pics, Lucretia. Is there any difference between this and the stuff you get from Spain / Iran?


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## Lucretia (Oct 29, 2012)

bieniek said:


> Nice photography and nice produce ma'am, thanks for the thread.



"Thread"?!?!?! An intentional pun? :lol2:


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## hax9215 (Oct 29, 2012)

When I taught foodservice classes at Edyville State Penitentiary saffron was oneof the spices kept under lock and key in the supervisor's office along with yeast, raisins, and bananas. Concentrated saffron is poisonous, and could be used to coat a shiv.

Hax the Cook CLEAVERS RULE!!!


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## bieniek (Oct 29, 2012)

Lucretia said:


> "Thread"?!?!?! An intentional pun? :lol2:



They are pretty, arent they?


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## Eamon Burke (Oct 29, 2012)

Lucretia said:


> Not necessarily true. Rhubarb stems are ok, the leaves are toxic. You can have poisonous parts on otherwise edible plants: if your potatoes have turned green, you want to trim it away before cooking because the green parts contain the toxin solanine. Time of year can even affect the toxicity of plants--you can eat the young spring leaves of pokeweed if you cook them; they'll be toxic later in the year



Well, it is just a matter of levels. The amount of Solanine in a green potato is not harmful unless you are a very small person and eat a large potato skin and all that is very very green. However, when they turn green, I toss em, because there is an elevated amount of Solanine throughout, and I'd just rather have none. Same goes for Rhubarb(which is not conditional, it is statically toxic), the leaves just have a higher concentration of Oxalic Acid(even then, you'd have to eat an unreasonable amount to die), but the entire plant contains poisonous substances.

I'd say Rhubarb and Greening Potatoes are entirely toxic plants. Just staying under the level of direct symptoms doesn't mean it's non-toxic. Kinda the crux of modern regulation, isn't it--that anything is acceptable, at low enough levels, including Aluminum and Mercury.



Hey I have to ask, it seems you live a lot North of the area I've read that Saffron grows well. How does it do up there in the Winter? I'm really wanting to grow some here, but the Summers might be a bit too brutal.


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## Lucretia (Oct 29, 2012)

No problem with the winter so far, but we're pretty mild. USDA hardiness zone 7/8. I think they grow in zones 6-8.


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## Cutty Sharp (Oct 29, 2012)

hax9215 said:


> When I taught foodservice classes at Edyville State Penitentiary saffron was oneof the spices kept under lock and key in the supervisor's office along with yeast, raisins, and bananas. Concentrated saffron is poisonous, and could be used to coat a shiv.
> 
> Hax the Cook CLEAVERS RULE!!!



Okay, I get it with the saffron then. But why the yeast, raisins and bananas? (Yeast to prevent surreptitious fermentation maybe? ... But raisins and bananas don't seem dangerous.)

Kev the Cook I LIKE GYUTOS!!!


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## Eamon Burke (Oct 29, 2012)

lus1:
I gotta know why you can't have raisins in prison.

I figure you can sneak stuff around in a banana, like a razor or needles or something.


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## sachem allison (Oct 29, 2012)

raisins are used to make hootch, they have a high sugar content and natural yeast on the outside. Bunch of raisins, water and some fruit bits, a little time and you got hooch.


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## hax9215 (Oct 29, 2012)

As usual, Son is right on. Raisin jack was (and IS) a real problem inside, although it does taste better than some of my first tries at applejack! Banana peels could be dried and smoked. I actually inventoried peels v. bananas and turned it in with my daily report form.

Hax the Cook CLEAVERS RULE!!!


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