How to Grind Saffron?
When we were kids, we loved watching mom cook with saffron. She gave each stamen the reverence that precious product deserves, beginning with the spice added to a glass of ice in order to guarantee the quality of the spice and then making sure that she added every drop of saffron that had been steeped in her biryani or Persian saffron rice.
The stamen of the crocus that is temperamental is so admired and revered that they have been grown and traded for millennia. Each vivid purple flower blooms every week of the year and has only three stamens. These are still harvested by hand, hence the high price that saffron is able to command.
Related: Import Saffron from Iran
How do you use saffron?
Different recipes and dishes require different ways to include saffron. These are some of the popular ways to add saffron dishes so that you’re able to decide which one is best for your particular recipe.
Keep in mind that saffron is akin to dried herbs in that it requires warmth and hydration to extract all its aromas as well as its golden hue. Tossing a few threads into salads or a platter of cooked vegetables isn’t going to get you very far. Utilize one of the strategies below to extract the best from each thread.
As with any dried spice or herb Saffron isn’t a spice with an unending shelf life. For the best flavor and color out of the saffron you purchase, be sure to use it within one year after the date of purchase. As it ages, saffron begins to lose flavor and color and become brittle. So take it in or you’ll lose it!
Also read: How to Cook Tuscan Chicken
How to Grind Saffron?
Ground saffron can be used in Persian recipes, like the rice crispy dish known as Tahdig, as well as many polows (layered rice dishes) and stews. This is also the most favorite method to use saffron in any meal, which is why we usually alter recipes that incorporate saffron by using this method, ranging from delicious saffron-honey frozen yogurt to delicious saffron pudding and saffron cake.
Saffron powdered packets are available to purchase however since you’ll never be sure of what’s inside the packets, it’s best you grind it yourself or purchase it directly from a saffron supplier. We begin by grinding an enormous amount of threads of saffron in an appropriate mortar and crusher. After the threads begin to disintegrate and become brittle.
Once the saffron is crushed and dissolved, you can mix it with some tablespoons of boiling water. The mixture immediately becomes incredibly aromatic and takes on a dark shade of sunset. The liquid is ready to be added to food at any point.
