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How expensive is saffron?
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Posted by Anakaleki z9 S.E. Tex (nelumbo_nucifera@hotmail.com) on Sun, Aug 22, 04 at 21:03
| I've read many times that saffron is the most expensive spice and that it's worth more than gold (by weight). So my question is, what's the average cost? I just bought a big bag of it at a Filipino food market for only 2 dollars. I don't remember the weight but it fills up one of those small sour cream tubs after packing it in a little. It seems like an awful lot if you only use about a pinch per recipe.
Andrew |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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- Posted by NTT_HOU 8b/9a/NWHouston (My Page) on
Mon, Aug 23, 04 at 1:04
| Andrew, you must of bought a low quality saffron. Depends on where the saffon is from, the price per oz. varies. Amazon.com carries saffron from various countries. The link below will give you some idea of the origins and prices of saffron. The more expensive and high quality has a richer fragrance; thus, you would use very little of it on your recipe, not even a pinch! |
Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/102-6639911-2932122?node=3602421
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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I pay $1.79 for a 7 oz bag of turmeric at the Philippine Market.
This is not saffron. It is sometimes called "Indian Saffron" and sometimes called a substitute for saffron.
I do not use it as a substitute for saffron.
Saffron is VERY expensive!
Turmeric is good in five spice, curry, yellow rice, etc.
Is it possible you bought "Indian Saffron" or "Mexican Saffron"(safflower)?
Check the saffron at your American market. You will find the normal size glass jar with a tiny envelope inside. The envelope contains a tinier pinch of saffron. It comes at a high price. |
Correction
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I just checked the last bag of turmeric I bought. I paid $1.99 for 14 oz.
I use it often. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Does it look the same as real saffron? It does have a smell though. It looks a lot like flower stamens so I assumed it was the real thing. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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Hello,
Goodness, as soon as I saw the heading for this I had to mention buying it from a Filipino store, but then I read the question...
Yes, they are real saffron. I've never seen it referred to as "Indian Saffron" or any other name, but "Saffron", I just checked the ingredients on my bag and it says "Saffron Flower, Export Quality". Grown in the Philippines and Not of inferior quality. I think the price is so cheap, because no Filipino (frugal as they are) would pay outrageous prices for a spice they hardly use. In my honest opinion, the taste is the exactly the same, and with the price as good as it is, you can be quite generous. I see the cooks on the Food Network always exclaim how expensive it is. They need to visit a Filipino market!
Have a good one all! |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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WOW!
That is a fantastic price for real saffron. I'll have to look for it.
I just checked the price at Albertson's.
$15.99 for .06 oz! |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| I have serious doubts that it could be true saffron at that price...I have, however heard of fake saffron made from marigolds. Remember whAat your mother used to say? If it sounds to good to be true... I get good Spanish saffron at my local Indian spice store for about $10-12 for 8 grams and feel lucky to get it for that price. The box is 3" x 4" x 1/2" deep. |
Check out Kasubha
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| There is a saffron-like plant in the Phillipines called Kasubha and sometimes referred to as Saffron Flower, but true Saffron Crocus it is not. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Philippine kasubha
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Then it probably is kasubha. |
Knows where I can find saffron plant (bulb)?
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| Since we are on this subject, does anyboy know where to find saffron plant and how much it cost to buy the bulb? |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| rosegone, You'll belooking for a variety of the Crocus plant. Each bulb must be planted in the fall and then you have to wait for it to grow and bloom in the spring and then you have to harvest the stamens by hand. Each bulb produces one flower I believe, and each flower produces only three stamen for harvest. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Saffrom/Crocus
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| It's actually the stigmas, not the stamens of the saffron crocus that constitute true saffron. Here is what Mabberley's 'The Plant Book' (ed 2, 1997) says: "C. sativus L. (saffron, a sterile autoploid cultigen poss. selected from C. cartwrightianus Herbert (Greece)) - source of saffron (10,000,000 fls to give 10 kg of dried spice) form. imp. dye (alpha crocin) in Ancient Greece derived from stigmas, now largely prepared in Spain (5,000 ha yielding 47 billion stigmas, 47 t spice per annum) for cooking and colouring foods . . . " [and more on historical uses and nutritional qualities]. I might just add that there is no better reference than this for concise and accurate facts about all food and spice plants and especially their current botanical classification, though its format is dictionary-like and highly abbreviated. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Ah... thank you for the clarification Tony! :) |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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- Posted by chaman U S east coast (My Page) on
Thu, Aug 26, 04 at 9:17
Saffron is really expensive.About 5000 stigmas are needed to yield 1 oz. of Saffron.1oz. of Saffron will cost,atleast 25$.
It is used to prepare sweets and for some medicinal purposes. chiman |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Safron gives a delicate, unique, incredibly good fragrance to bouillabaisse which cannot be acheived any other way. It doesn't take much. I grind the threads in a mortar and pestle with some of the hot broth to release the color and fragrance. Just dumping it dry into the pot is a waste. I've often wondered how feasible it would be to grow your own. Has anyone tried it? I guess you would need at least a hundred bulbs. Some sources are in the link below. Jim |
Here is a link that might be useful: Safron Crocus Sources
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Is the kasubha anywhere as good as the real saffron? I've never tasted or smelled real saffron before. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Mexican msrkets and Filippino markets sell "saffran". It is NOT real saffron but from the safflower plant. It lends colour. Real saffron is usually from Spain, Northern India or Persia. I buy a tin of saffron every few years (it is dated and lasts for 8-10 years!). It usually costs $25 +/-. As you only use a pinch and the flavour is so special it is soooo worth it. If it is expensive for you buy with a friend or two and divide. The box is lovely! http://www-ang.kfunigraz.ac.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Croc_sat.html this will give you the real explanation and photos. Book mark this fabulous site on herbs and spices-best on the web! Mary-Anne |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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- Posted by renuka 9b, Sunset 14 (My Page) on
Tue, Sep 21, 04 at 16:27
| Crocus do not grow in the Philippines. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Yeah, I didn't think so. That's what made me inquire in the first place : ) AJB |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| bump - I'm new, here, and I went searching for such a post...And, I've found my answer. For my notes - I buy my saffron (in the strands) at a Natural-Food Market at around $15.00/tsp worth (about 9 strands)...but, it goes a long way, a few strands soaked in milk is all that I use when I make bread. I, however, had never thought of substituting turmerric, I'll try that and see what I come up with. Thanks,
Take Care,
Julie |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Actually, Saffron Crocus is a FALL-flowering crocus. It blooms in the fall & that's when you collect the stamens. This is probably a good thing, since you won't confuse it with any inedible spring-flowering regular crocus in your garden. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Julie, Don't substitute turmeric for saffron! It will ruin your dish as turmeric has a spicy, bitter flavor which doesn't go well with sweets. It's ok for savory dishes. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| I agree. Tumeric will have the color but will definitely be different in flavor. Saffron Substitutes: -- turmeric --
(for color, not flavor; use 4 times as much) -- safflower --
(use 8 times as much; less expensive and imparts similar color, but taste is decidedly inferior) -- marigold blossoms --
(for color, not flavor; use twice as much) -- annatto seeds --
(Steep 1 teaspoon annatto seeds in 1/4 cup of boiling water for 30 minutes, discard seeds. Reduce liquid in recipe by 1/4 cup.) -- red and yellow food coloring -- www.foodsubs.com |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| my husband sprayed my saffron crocus bed w/ roundup when I was gone for the weekend -- and my lilies too :( "I thought those were weeds" (he mentioned something about spraying the "other bed" (asparagus) but they are still alive. -Celeste |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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Hi, pure italian saffron costs about 15/18 Euro/grams.
Italian bulbs (corms), good for professional production, cost for example:
10 for 10 Euro
50 for 45 Euro
100 for 80 Euro
... For high quantity even less: 0,30, 0,40 each corm.
If interested please visit zafferanomontefeltro.com |
Here is a link that might be useful: Zafferano del Montefeltro - Saffron from Montefeltro
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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Turmeric has no relationship to saffron;It is a tuber, grown like potato in the ground. Also, turmeric is pure yello but saffron is orange yellow and red and has different aroma. Just a few powdered strands soaked in couple of table spoon warm water can go a long way and should be added before serving.
Safflower petals have similar color to saffron, but it has no aroma or much flavor. To economize, I mix a bit of saffron with safflower petals, anneta(?), paprika, just a little turmeric, to get more bang for the buck. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Hi every body, To take out all the confusion about saffron price and saffron substitutes, please check out this website:
http://www.persiansaffrononline.com/about.php Not only you'll get the answer to all of your questions about saffron, but also you'll learn about saffron grading, world production, saffron adultery, it's uses and more. Hope the link is useful to all. Thanks, |
Here is a link that might be useful: Persian Saffron Online
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Turmeric adds yellow color to entire food. Saffron does not color the food.It may add slightly Saffron (Kesari) color very close to the Saffron strands.Both have used for (herbal) health improvements.Both help in purifying blood.After using both for some time it is the taste that will help you to distinguish both from each other.Here in US saffron bulbs are planted in fall not in spring or summer. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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Original saffron is from Kashmir, India.
saffron seeds are like potato.
you plant them, it grows from eye.
Dried flower is called saffron. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| I bought my saffron bulbs (corms) from Nichol's. |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| I try to grow my own saffron here in Norman, Oklahoma. I did harvest few flowers in the fall. they were awesome, most finest quality saffron one can grow at home!!! here some are pics... 
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RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| Hello biradarcm, Please email me, i like to talk to you. myids10@gmail.com thanks |
RE: How expensive is saffron?
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| I have planted saffron crocus last year, I bought bulbs from www.esbenshades.com I found this site much cheaper than anywhere else. here is link for saffron crocus it about $0.35:
http://www.esbenshades.com/onlineshopping/proddetail.asp?prod=653155002353&id=Crocus Sativus Bulb thank you -Chandra |
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