I'm Just Mad About Saffron

The world's most expensive spice is remarkably easy to grow

Years ago I was poking around seed sites and found one selling saffron bulbs. I bought some out of curiosity, and years later my little crop is still going strong. This little flower (Crocus sativus) looks very similar to its common cousins, but apart from the magic of those glowing orange styles (which most people call threads) it’s most notable for blooming in the fall. So in these darkening days as the cold slowly culls crop after crop outside, there’s a little patch of fluorescent, flavorsome joy still going strong.

Each flower only produces three threads, which must be plucked by hand, and when they dry out they shrink pretty dramatically. So it’s easy to see why saffron commands such high prices. I actually dug my bulbs up when I moved a couple of years ago, and replanted them here. Each year they divide and spread so if you’re patient and keep them happy by weeding and mulching with straw over time you can end up with a decent-sized crop (by which I mean enough to last you for a few meals).

Because they flower in fall, you should plant them by August-September—most companies that sell them generally ship them out in summer. So there’s plenty of time to put the bulbs on your list for next year. They do well in poor soil (add a little compost) as long as you keep weeds under control (like I said, mulching with straw works really well). And they work in containers, too, so if you have any outdoor space at all (even a front stoop) you could enjoy the magic of fresh saffron in some of your fall concoctions.

Besides its beguiling flavor and seductive aroma, saffron has another surprising and super-useful quality that’s well worth digging into. I discovered this attribute sort of by accident when thinking of ways to use my tiny crop as effectively as possible. We’ll get into that with a simple recipe and some ideas for others, and I’ve got a list of trusted sources for bulbs for you too.