What is Persian Saffron?
All-Red saffron or Sargol Saffron is made up of red stigmas which have been equally cut and separated after drying. Saffron stigmas that are cut this way give maximum natural dye, aroma and flavor in baking and cooking. It should be noted that improper techniques of harvesting and drying gravely impact the overall quality of saffron. Persian Saffron Threads farmers are the most professional farmers in the world who have practiced growing the valuable saffron spice for thousands of years.
World Production Saffron
Purchasing the purest and finest saffron has something to do with ignoring myths. This is the main reason why we would like you to know the most recent figures on the global saffron production:
Italian Saffron – 100 kilos or less,
Spanish Saffron – 1mt. or less,
Kashmir Saffron – 2/3 mt.,
Moroccan Saffron 2/3 mt.,
Greek Saffron 5.7 mt.,
Iranian Saffron / Persian Saffron 150/170 mt.
As a general rule of thumb, packers purchase all the Iranian Saffron for Sale they are offered and then have to sell it immediately so they can claim that it is from the latest crop year. So, saffron enters the market as a combination of various qualities from various countries. The ultimate rule—lowest price. The packer just has little concern when it comes to quality. You will notice this when you open a sample of lower grade saffron and observe the mixture of white, yellow and red material left attached to the saffron flower’s stigma or just yellow filaments included.
Buy Persian Saffron online; because of some restrictions, we are not able to import Persian Saffron to the US, but we provide Highest Quality Afghan Saffron which is identical to Persian Saffron.
Saffron Coloring Strength
Saffron’s coloring strength ranges from 110-250+. Mehr saffron has a minimum range of 230-255 color degrees. In accordance with ISO, the coloring strength must be posted clearly in the tin can. Our Sargol saffron does not have any other part of the saffron plant, except the red stigmas, which is packed with the spice’s natural dye, flavor and aroma. Coloring power is the only gauging tool that ensures you of RELIABLE saffron quality. In order to get this number, CROCIN, saffron’s main chemical compound, is gauged in a laboratory. The standards for testing are written by the International Organization for Standardization or ISO. Saffron has numerous chemical compounds. However, crocin is the one gauged, as it is a forerunner to the other compounds, which produce the 3 things chefs are searching for: COLOR (crocin), FLAVOR (picrocrocin) and AROMA (safranal). All red saffron will GAUGE HIGHER on the scale of coloring than saffron, which is combined with the other parts of the saffron plant.
All-Red Persian Saffron Price
Growing only one ounce of All-Red / Sargol Saffron spice needs a lot of efforts, tough labor and picking more than 7,000 Purple Saffron Flowers. The red antenna of the flowers should be hand-picked individually and dried completely. The biggest problem in cultivating saffron crops is the quick nutrient depletion of the soil. In order to fully replenish it, other crops like beans or grains should be harvested and planted for 7-10 years. These problems contribute to the rarity of the saffron, thus leading to its limited production. Good thing, only a small amount of saffron is needed in cooking recipes that you will find on the Saffron Recipes and Tips section. Only a few grams are needed to provide flavor to several dishes (1 gram of saffron for about 24 servings).
As a buyer, you want both value and quality in saffron spice. As a lover of Persian Saffron, you appreciate the exceptional and heavenly flavor, color and aroma saffron lends to an array of dishes. You surely do not want to pay an arm and a leg for the uniqueness of saffron. However, the saffron that is sold in the United States has different grades from different countries at varying prices. So, what does a saffron spice consumer need to do in order to get the best saffron? Get educated! We would like you to know the truth about saffron. There are only three important things you need to bear in mind each time you purchase saffron:
- Study the drawing of the saffron plan on the packaging’s drawing
- Read the labels
- Do not get fooled into thinking that the quality of the saffron is tied into its price. To put it simply, the price of saffron is tied to the number of saffron harvested in a certain country and the number of middlemen who handle it before it reaches you.
