Saffron is an expensive spice when purchased at the store (I think I paid $14 for a normally-sized spice jar of it when I last purchased it), but it’s easy and inexpensive to grow in the garden. Saffron crocus is not the same as the ordinary crocus grown in flower beds. The ornamental crocus blooms in the late winter, and saffron blooms in October, and the flower of the saffron crocus is prettier, I think (picture below).
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| Beautiful saffron flower |
Pick the flower on the morning of a dry day while it’s still fresh, and remove the red-orange filaments from the flowers. I laid them on a plate to dry indoors, and I’ll store them in the freezer to use in cooking.
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| Harvested saffron ready to dry |
For more information, visit this website and to purchase corms, here’s an option.