Monday, March 4, 2019

SAFFRON VEGETABLE GOLD


SAFFON

VEGETABLE GOLD

Saffron's flavor is described as ' Metallic honey with grassy notes' . Hay like and sweet.
It is an extremely subtle and fragrant spice, difficult to to describe in taste but immediately
recognizable in a dish. It has been associated with the Mediterranean and Middle East for
centuries. Now, it can be grown in Vermont.

High tunnel winter growing has had success along with kale and spinach experiments at the University of Vermont's “ North American Center of Saffron Research and Development,
managed by Margaret Skinner and Arash Ghalehgolabbehani.

The background of saffron it that it is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus
plant. The crimson stigmas aka threads are collected and dried and used as seasoning and
coloring agents in food. Saffron is the most expensive spice or the worlds spices, selling between
$25 to $100 per gram. Picking, separating and drying takes up three weeks of harvest. The quality
stays good for up to a few years. Harvest is late October and November and it takes a 1000
flowers, each flower produces 3 threads , to give one ounce of the spice.

Skinner says it is an easy going crop, plant it, a month later it begins to emerge. Today there are about 450 growers in 15 states. The three weeks of harvesting is
intense, picking, separating, drying, then a cool storage place.

The 2019 Saffron workshop is scheduled for March 15 in Burlington, VT.

Abstract: March 2019 Country Folks Grower, Palatine Bridge, New York,
article by Courtney Llewellyn.

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