Publication date: May 2, 2021
When it comes to saffron, you have to seize the moment! The saffron harvest lasts only 20 days and is carried out at dawn, before the stigmas open, to preserve its aroma. This takes place between late October and early November. To avoid damaging the pistils, the operations must be performed strictly by hand by specialized pickers, who detach the three stigmas one by one.
It is estimated that over 160,000 flowers are needed to produce 1 kg of saffron, equivalent to about 68 kg of flowers.
Besides making a variety of dishes tasty, saffron powder is a treasure trove of valuable substances for the body: being one of the most powerful antioxidants, it fights free radicals, which are responsible for accelerating cellular aging. Moreover, this spice supports digestive functions by stimulating the digestive system.
Saffron is obtained from the plant “Crocus sativus.” The name Crocus comes from the Greek Kroke, meaning "filament," due to the filamentous stigmas it bears at the center of the corolla.
It is a small herbaceous plant, 15 to 40 centimeters tall. It is cultivated in very loose soil, planting the bulbs at a depth of 5-8 centimeters and at equal distances from each other. The part of saffron that interests us is the flower, particularly the stigmas. Each flower has on average 3 stigmas that appear as red-orange filaments. The red of the stigmas, when in contact with liquids, produces an intense yellow color that has made Milanese risotto and any dish treated with saffron unmistakable.
The saffron stigmas contain over 150 volatile aromatic substances, components of its essential oil. This is made up of 4 main chemical substances that give it its specific organoleptic qualities: crocin and crocetin, which give it its characteristic color; picrocrocin, which gives it its bitter power; and safranal, which gives it its unmistakable aroma.
Furthermore, the latter is an organic compound capable of positively influencing brain activity. For this reason, it is used in herbal medicine to treat mood disorders.
