Saffron crocus (crocus sativus): growing saffron at home

It may not be a crop you immediately think of in August, but I would like to introduce you to the saffron crocus . Saffron is the most expensive spice in the world. Saffron consists of the red stamens of the saffron crocus. You will quickly pay 10 euros per gram or +/- 400 stamens (technically the stigmas of the plant) for freshly dried saffron. Fortunately, you do not need that much of it. 3 threads per person in your dish is the standard amount. One saffron crocus also grows 3 red, long, limp threads. 25 plants of the saffron crocus will therefore give you 25 portions of food. The darker the color of your saffron, the better the quality.

Saffron is used in curries, couscous, chicken dishes, risottos, of course the Spanish dish Paella, stews, ... The taste is very complex and cannot be compared to anything. Saffron is sweet but also offers a certain earthiness, grassiness and floral tones. Moreover, it literally turns your dish into gold because of its yellow color .

The red gold from Iran is world famous, but did you know that you can also grow saffron yourself very easily? I will explain how to do that below.

"You can find high-quality saffron crocuses in the webshop. Our bulbs are of the 10+ type, which means that they are extra large and produce yields in the first year. Smaller bulbs on the market only start to flower in the second or third year."

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

Plant the bulbs 15 cm apart and 15 cm deep from mid-August to mid-September in a sunny spot.

Little space in the open ground? You can also plant saffron perfectly in a pot. Ruud shows you how to do that in this Reel on Instagram .

Saffron crocuses bloom in the fall, around October. This means that they are in dormancy during the summer and spring. Water them especially right after planting and during their flowering period. The rest of the year, occasional rainwater is sufficient. Admit it, growing the most expensive spice in the world is very easy .

And now for what it's all about: harvesting your home-grown saffron. Around October , your saffron crocus will bloom. This is the moment you harvest the flower. Be careful! You harvest the flower as a whole and 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.

Never harvest your saffron by hand, but use tweezers . This way you can harvest accurately without damaging the saffron threads. You harvest the entire flower, but leave the leaves on the plant. In 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 then have to dry them at 40-50 °C in the oven or in 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 this will take longer. The saffron must be well dried, only in this way can you store the saffron. If you are not working in the oven or a dehydrator, it is best not to let the stamens dry on a sheet of kitchen paper or tea towel. There is too great a chance that part of the saffron aroma remains on the paper. Use a drying rack or a baking tray.

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

Around May the plant starts to visibly die. From then on you can cut the leaves to the ground. The bulbs do not need to be taken out of the ground. They will start growing again at the end of August and bloom again in October.

After the saffron threads have dried, they should be sealed airtight, for example in a glass jar or a tightly sealed tin. We recommend that you store the saffron in an airtight, dark place for a month before you want to use the red gold in a dish.

This way the saffron can rest, develop delicious aromas and you can store your saffron for years. Store 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.

Did you know: the saffron crocus reproduces vegetatively, just like many other flower bulbs. 1 bulb becomes multiple bulbs every year. The saffron crocus buries itself deeper and deeper every year. That is why you have to dig up the bulbs after 3 years and replant them (15 cm deep; 15 cm apart).

Please note! Saffron crocuses are winter hardy down to -10°C. So keep a close eye on the weather forecast. When it gets colder, it is better to dig them up and take them indoors. Next spring or in the summer you can put them back in the ground. The rest of the year, nothing will grow from the bulbs.

So, Plukker. Hopefully you will find this cultivation of saffron crocus something for you too and your world will soon become a little more yellow 😄

Warm regards, Sarah