Saffron? Help from You Cooks Out There

Don't buy the expensive Saffron at regular grocery stores.

Buy the Mexican saffron in the Mexican aisle, or the Indian saffron at an Indian store. It's ridiculous what US companies charge US citizens for some of these spices.

Just last night I was in a Chinese market and stumbled across these little metal dishes. I make bath products at home, and the bath store wanted $25 for a set of 2, round, metal molds. Guess what? At the Chinese store they were .99 cents a pieces with a nice pattern to boot.

Buyer beware!!

I've used it, but I can't say that it's worth it. But that may be more the way I cooked with it, or maybe other flavors overpowered it.

The nice thing is that even though it's expensive, you really do only use a little bit in a dish. Try it a couple of times to check it out. (Risotto Milanese comes to mind as a dish to try.) And make sure you buy whole saffron pistils and grind them yourself. If you buy ground "saffron" it's more likely to be turmeric.

Good luck and have fun experimenting!

I get it from Trader Joe's. :)

I think it's great for coloring certain foods, and if you don't have a lot of strong flavors overwhelming it, as it can be fairly subtle. I do use the pistils and steep in boiling water, then grind in a mortar and pestle.

I love making a saffron-caper mayonaisse as dressing for steamed cauliflower, or using it in risotto. Can't say I have many other uses for it, however! It does have a slightly metallic taste and is more reknowned, it seems, for its color. And so expensive because it is harvested manually from a crocus flower, which is of course labor-intensive.Here's an interesting article on the types and grading of saffron:
http://persiansaffrononline.com/about.php

No - not poppies!
Saffron comes from saffron crocuses!
For each flower, you get maybe 3 strands of saffron.
In order to get 1 lb (450 g) of dry saffron requires the harvest of 50,000–75,000 flowers!
And it has to be done by hand!
That is the major reason it's so very expensive.

It has a wonderful flavor and is used in many dishes such as saffron rice and paella.
It has been used as a dye and it makes deep yellow color.
Saffron has been cultivated and used for over 4000 years.
I've used it when my Mom brought some home from her trip to Spain.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saffron

It is an essential ingredient in many dishes but don't add it to everything. It has a specific taste. You need it a lot of Spanish dishes (Paella) and some Italian dishes like Risotto Milanese. I have a veal scallipini dish with a mushroom cream sauce that uses saffron (I got it on the food network site) and it is delicious.

Saffron is part of the inside of the poppy seed. It costs so much because there is so little of it to harvest.

When it is dried it is yellow and gives food a bright mustard color. The flavor is different and it is what gives a lot of Spanish foods their unique flavor. The dish I think of is paella and it usually has fish in it.

I like to use it in rice dishes.

the other S.

"I'm just wild about saffron...."

Seriously though, I don't think I've ever had it and I know I've never used it myself. Sorry.

It's worth it if you can swing it.
Yes.
Yes, because it's good.
Rice...Indian-style food, sauces...again, it's good...really really good.

If I could afford to, I'd use it more often.

Part of the charm of saffron IS that it s expensive. It has a mystique because of course you can't use it everyday.

One time I was making a chocolate cake and I accidentally dropped a whole large container of saffron straight from India in it! It fell from my cupboard and came open in the batter. That cake sure was exotic. Nobody could quite put their finger on the secret until I told them.

I have no idea but I admire people who love to experiment with different spices, herbs, etc.

I wish I had that gene.

My only goal is to get it on the table in an edible format.

Sigh.

I wasn't aware of a rage about it. I do know it is pretty pricey.

I have used it in 1 chicken recipe and it was very good. The flavor can be overpowering.

When I bought mine, it came in a bottle with 5 small capsules with a pinch of saffron. I guess it stays fresher that way because it is not used daily like I do with garlic and Italian seasonings.

It is only the "rage"... if you or your family likes it and you want to spend the money on it to flavor whatever you are making.
It is a luxury, spice.
Not an everyday staple.

I have it in my kitchen.
I've used it.
But that tiny tiny jar of Saffron strands that I have, is still hardly used.
You don't have to use tons of it per dish that you cook.
And, my family, doesn't even care, if I make something with Saffron or not. They don't care about the hype about it.
They just wanna eat, what they like to eat.
And the Saffron taste/color for them, is not a big deal.

Why all the rage - no clue. I don't watch TV or know much about current trends. I brought some home from the Middle East because it is abundant, common, cheap, and a gorgeous color. It is a fabulous spice (not taking much to give flavor, steep in hot water to release the flavor) but not something I would pay our prices for. I can’t use it fast enough before it goes stale. I have heard you can get a better deal in Asian and Middle Eastern supermarkets. It makes lovely rice and I have a great recipe for saffron pasta. Good luck.