Blog entry by Joanne Ranck-Dirks
Late August
is planting time for the fall-blooming saffron crocus (Crocus sativus). Large corms planted in August may bloom in
October and smaller corms will come into flower in fall next year. Saffron crocus
blossoms yield perhaps the most expensive spice in the world – it’s also an
essential ingredient in local Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.
The dark
purple flowers each have three deep-red stigma which are called saffron threads. At harvest the whole flower is cut and the
threads are carefully extracted and spread to dry overnight. Flowers need to be harvested daily as each
blossom lasts only a day or two. The saffron flower harvest extends over
several weeks in October. Here at Landis Valley, saffron is grown in the kitchen
gardens at the Log Farm and also by the Brick Farmstead.
Saffron
develops its rich flavor and fragrance if left to cure for about six
months. No special measures are needed
for the curing process, just the discipline to resist using the saffron immediately.
Saffron is most often used in cooking
mildly flavored meats like chicken and also with noodles and potatoes. The red
saffron threads add a warm yellow color to chicken corn soup, scalloped
potatoes and enrich the flavor of bread fillings and stuffing for roasted pig
stomach.
Saffron is
part of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking in a geographic area of Pennsylvania
sometimes referred to as the “saffron belt.” This area includes parts of Lancaster,
York, Lebanon and Berks counties. It is
thought to have traveled to Pennsylvania with German immigrants in the early
1700’s from the Palatinate in Germany and may have been brought to that part of
Germany by immigrants from Switzerland.
In our
Pennsylvania Dutch past, many gardens reserved space for a saffron bed. If gardens yielded more than the household
needed, extra saffron found a ready market in local towns. As the practice of growing saffron
diminished, imported saffron took its place.
Small envelopes of saffron are still widely available in local grocery
stores.
