Has anyone tried growing saffron crocus bulbs?

[mich]

What's your experience been? worth growing for the red stigmas? difficult or easy? where did you get your bulbs from? I looked at amazon but the reviews weren't very good.

 

[Bootsy]

They've been growing saffron near us for the last 600 years (we live not far from the town of Saffron Walden). Not difficult to grow but it takes 200 flowers to make one gram of saffron!

 

[alp]

I have but I must have eaten the stamens from other crocus! And I'm still alive!

 

[Owdboggy]

They do need a goodly amount of sun in Summer to bake the bulbs to get them to flower again. We cannot keep them going here in this part of England.

 

[mich]

They've been growing saffron near us for the last 600 years (we live not far from the town of Saffron Walden). Not difficult to grow but it takes 200 flowers to make one gram of saffron!

omg, I was thinking around 10 bulbs... that'll take a while for one gram lol.

 

[mich]

They do need a goodly amount of sun in Summer to bake the bulbs to get them to flower again. We cannot keep them going here in this part of England.

So do they leaf every year but don't flower? or die after one season?

 

[Sufee]

yes , i m growing saffron in bad as well as in pots , it is easy to grow . here in Pakistan, its bulb sowing in Mid of October and then they start flowering in November till December.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

What's your experience been? worth growing for the red stigmas? difficult or easy? where did you get your bulbs from? I looked at amazon but the reviews weren't very good.

I have seen them for sale, can't recall where right now. But, if I remember well, you need to harvest a lot of stamen from them to even get a teaspoon full of spice. I do cook a lot, rarely use the stuff myself. so for me to get all into growing them just did not intrigue me. the spice is so delicate in flavor, to use it properly, only certain dishes can be made with it so the flavor is tasted. If I need the color I can use Turmeric which is a faint taste to it for the amount of color given off, works well.

As far as growing, they appeared to be no more or less than a regular crocus. However, on the flip side, you have to grow them in a culinary state, meaning, no spraying of any stuff on it that might contaminate a food product. No cats or dogs pooping on it, no birds droppings on it, ect. to sell it as a food product----if that's your thinking, there are probably restrictions to go by.