Saffron crocus (crocus sativus): growing saffron at home

Saffron might not be on your cultivation list yet, but I would like to introduce you to a special plant: the saffron crocus. You get the world's most expensive spice from these little flowers. Yes, really! Saffron consists of the red threads (actually the stigmas) from the heart of the flower. You can easily pay ten euros for a single gram – that’s about 400 threads. Fortunately, you only need a few per dish. Three threads per person is enough to put something magical on the table.

Three of those threads grow on every saffron crocus. So, with 25 plants, you can already make something delicious 25 times. The darker the color of the saffron, the better the quality.

What do you use saffron for? Think of curries, couscous, chicken, risotto, paella, and stews. The flavor is hard to describe, but it is a combination of sweet, earthy, floral, and slightly spicy. And then that color: it turns your dish golden yellow – as if you were adding a bit of sunshine to your plate.

Most saffron comes from Iran, but did you know that you can simply grow it yourself? And it is not complicated at all. Below, I will explain step by step how to do it.

"In our webshop, you can find high-quality saffron crocuses. Our bulbs are type 10+, which means they are extra large and provide a yield in the very first year. Smaller bulbs on the market only start to bloom in the second or third year."

Everything starts with planting the saffron crocus. The crocus grows best in poor, well-draining soil. Preferably in a spot with full sun.

Plant the bulbs 15 cm apart and 15 cm deep between mid-August and mid-September in a sunny location.

Not much space in open ground? You can also perfectly plant saffron in a pot!

Saffron crocuses bloom in the autumn, around October. This means that they are in sleep mode during the summer and spring. Water them especially just after planting and during their flowering period. The rest of the year, occasional rainwater is sufficient. You have to admit, cultivating the most expensive spice in the world is very simple.

And now for what it’s all about: harvesting your home-grown saffron. Around October, your saffron crocus will bloom. This is the moment to harvest the flower. Note! You harvest the whole flower, not just the red stamens. Cut the flower as close to the ground as possible. Then carefully harvest the beautiful red stamens. It is best to do this in the morning, after the morning dew has dried off.

Never harvest saffron by hand, but use tweezers. This allows you to harvest precisely without damaging the saffron threads. You harvest the entire flower, but leave the leaves on the plant. This way, you stimulate the bulb to bloom a second time in the same season.

Saffron consists of the orange-red colored female flower parts (the stigmas) of a saffron crocus. You must then dry them at 40-50°C in the oven or a food dehydrator until they are slightly crispy; this takes about 15 to 30 minutes. You can also dry them on the radiator or in the sun, but that will take longer. The saffron must be thoroughly dry; only then can you store it. If you do not use an oven or dehydrator, it is best not to let the stamens dry on a sheet of paper towel or a tea towel. There is too high a chance that some of the saffron aroma will remain on the paper. Use a drying rack or a baking sheet.

After harvesting the flower, only some leaf remains on your saffron crocus. It is important that you do not cut this leaf away. The plant can still perform photosynthesis (absorb energy from the sun) that way, which is very important for the following year.

Around May, the plant begins to visibly die back. From then on, you can cut the leaf away close to the ground. The bulbs do not need to be removed from the ground. They will begin to grow again at the end of August and bloom again in October.

After the saffron threads have been dried, they must be packaged airtight, for example in a glass jar or a tightly sealed tin. We recommend storing the saffron airtight and in the dark for a month before you want to use the red gold in a dish.

This allows the saffron to rest, develop delicious aromas, and lets you store your saffron for years. Keep the saffron in a cool, dry, and dark place. The saffron can easily be stored for one and a half to two years without loss of quality.

Like many other flower bulbs, the saffron crocus propagates vegetatively. So, 1 bulb becomes multiple bulbs every year. In doing so, the saffron crocus buries itself deeper and deeper each year. That is why you must dig up the bulbs after 3 years and replant them (15 cm deep; 15 cm apart).

Note! Saffron crocuses are hardy down to -10°C. Keep a close eye on the weather forecast. If it gets colder, it is better to dig them up and take them indoors. You can put them back in the ground next spring or summer. Because the rest of the year, nothing grows from the little bulbs.