Harvest and storage with traditional methods is our added value to saffron!
The saffron cultivation, harvest and storage requires specific land and methods to assure that we have the highest possible quality. this special spice plant requires very specific conditions to grow.
Soil:
The Crocus sativus grows in many different soil types but thrives best in calcareous, humus-rich and well-drained soil, with a pH between 6 and 8. Saffron corms can also be grown in dry or semi-dry soil type.
Climate:
For saffron cultivation we need an explicit climatological summer and winter with temperature ranging from no more than 35 oC or 40 oC in summer to about – 15 oC or 20 oC in winter. That why saffron can be cultivated in dry, moderate and continental climate types but not in tropical or polar climate types.
Harvest:
By the middle of October, saffron flowers begin to blossom, and this blooming lasts for about three weeks. There occurs a period of intensified blossoming called the “The blanket days” which last from two to six days. Blooms that appear during the nigh must be harvested at dawn the very next day until before noon time to avoid wilting of the petals. It is best to harvest blooms that are still “sleeping” or closed to ensure high-quality saffron threads.
Striping:
When the blooms are harvested, they are brought to the “stripping” area where the stigmas or threads are very carefully removed manually and painstakingly. The white and yellow parts of the stigmas are not to be included in the cutting, just the red parts.
Drying:
After the striping comes immediately the drying, also known as toasting, which is done daily until the last threads are dried. Because they are exceedingly humid, the harvested stigmas are dehydrated by toasting at temperature not higher than 60 oC. Utmost care must be taken that the threads are not overdone. Hence, the “toaster” (the person assigned to do the task) has a very delicate role in the production of quality saffron spice. After the toasting the threads will have reduced their size and weight extremely, down to 80% of the original. Five kilos of fresh stigmas yield a mere kilo of dried, vivid crimson threads. Furthermore, stigmas can also be dried over hot coals, or in an oven. Spread the fresh threads on a wire mesh lined with baking paper and place in the middle of the oven. Turn the heat a t 60 to 80 oC, observing the threads keenly for 10 to 20 minutes till they are dry enough to fall away from each other. For Bulk drying, saffron threads are placed in a special room heated at 30 oC to 35 oC for 10-12 hours. A more modern method is the use of a dehydrator with temperature set at 48 oC for 3 hours.
Storage:
When the threads are dried, they turn into vivid dark red, with the tips being dark orange. They are cooled and wrapped in tissue or foil and placed inside airtight jars, covered and kept in a cool, dark corner for at least thirty days before they are ready for use. They can be kept in that nook for a year and still be good to use for flavouring dishes.
The suitable soil, best climate, and traditional methods of harvesting and storage make Afghan saffron the best in the world. Scored garde-1 for 8 consecutive 8 years.