In the autumn, blooming of the saffron crocus starts about 40 – 50 days after planting of the bulbs. If the bulbs are from a previous year and had spent the winter in the ground, they start their bloming since the beginning of October.
Harvesting takes place every day early in the morning before the dissolution of the flowers. This is a must, because the exposure of the stigmas to sunlight spoils the quality. The flowers are cut off from the stem and collected in baskets or panners. Immediately afterwards, the valuable dark red stigmas of the flowers are removed. When removing the stigmas, care must be taken not to tear the set of the 3 pieces that each flower has, and also not to leave the white part on the stem. This contributes to a higher assessment of saffron quality. If rain falls during the collection of flowers, they must first be alloweded to dry in the air, and then you can remove the stigmas from them.
Harvesting
Drying
The stigmas from which saffron is produced should be dried immediately after harvesting. There are several ways of drying, and the most suitable one is to dry them at 45 degrees for 3 hours in a dehydrator. This preserves their valuable qualities and at the same time achieves optimal drying. During drying, the stigmas lose about 1/5 of their weight. They reach humidity of about 10-12%, which is the best indicator for premium saffron. The dried saffron has a more intense dark red color and a stronger smell. Immediately after the completion of the initial drying process, the saffron is collected in glass jars; a napkin is placed in order to collect residual moisture and then is hermetically sealed. Dried saffron is very sensitive to changes of the acidity and changes its appearance due to light and oxidants. Therefore, after being stored as described above, saffron is placed in a dark place for 30 days. After this period it is completely ready. It is advisable to label the jars of the daily saffron storage. The 30-day rule is a must.
PLANTING OF SAFFRON
Saffron grows in areas with a Mediterranean and continental climate. The history of its development shows that the plant adapts very well and at extreme temperatures – up to 40 degrees in summer and up to -20 degrees in winter.
SEEDLING OF SAFFRON
The saffron crocus is relatively resistant plant which is not attacked by many pests. Dangers to saffron are several types of parasites, the most common are:
CLIMATE AND SOIL
Saffron grows in areas with a Mediterranean and continental climate. The history of its development shows that the plant adapts very well and at extreme temperatures – in the summer to up to…