In Fact, You Can Grow Saffron at Home.
Part of the gardening journey is understanding exactly where your food comes from. My 11 year old was shocked to learn that vanilla comes from beans that grow on plants . Paprika turns out to be dried pepper. But what I loved most was the realization that saffron, a revered spice (and rightly so), is just the stigma of crocuses, and you can buy those crocuses and grow them yourself, and now is the time to put those suckers in the ground.
Crocus is a low-growing flower grown from bulbs that usually appears in early spring. But you’re looking for a Crocus Sativus that will grow and bloom in the fall, not the spring.
How (and when) to plant Crocus sativus
Saffron bulbs are planted in late summer or early fall two to three inches deep with the pointed side up, leaving three inches between bulbs. The good thing about saffron bulbs is that you don’t need to hold them much in your hands. Plant them in loose composted soil in full sun and water once after planting. Crocuses do not like wet feet, so well-drained soil is necessary.
Six to eight weeks after planting, your crocuses should bloom. They are a beautiful silver-lilac color and open with a bright orange stigma. It is best to collect them in the morning; the stigma can simply be pulled out with your fingers or tweezers. Let the stigmas dry by spreading them out on a paper towel and placing them in a dry and ventilated area, or you can dry them in the oven on the lowest temperature for an hour. Saffron should be stored in an airtight container.
Your bulbs are perennial, so they should come back year after year. Since these are fall-blooming bulbs, be sure to plant them in a location where you can easily access them and where you will actually see them bloom. The flowering time is short and you don’t want to waste your grown saffron.