Saffron!

[treefern]

I harvested saffron today. It smells utterly, utterly, utterly divine... sweeter than the dried saffron threads that I've bought in the past and just slightly, intoxicatingly spicy. It's not the blunt-instrument musclemen version of spices that I love when I crave strong flavours, but something much more worthy of Wordsworth:

Comments

[vayshti]

Your photos are gorgeous, and I just love that you've grown your own.

Remind me what type of crocus it is?

[treefern]

Domesticated saffron crocus is 'crocus sativus' - and Oh the delightful things one learns! "It is often mistaken for the more plentiful common autumn crocus, which is also known as meadow saffron or naked ladies (Colchicum autumnale) and has been the cause of deaths due to mistaken identity." Luckily we aren't growing any other types of crocus, hehe. I bought our bulbs from Diggers but I've noticed just now that there are a few suppliers in Australia. I've also just read that I should pick the saffron threads as soon as the flowers open... I'll have to move a bit faster in future if that's the case :D