A Cosco Purchase ~ Saffron

Hi there everyone....hope you are having a great day. This is actually an old post that I am finally putting up. I went to Cosco with Betty three weeks ago. She has a Cosco membership. I have never been to Cosco.....Sam's is my place of preference. So she said if I see anything I want, she will buy it and I can pay her back. I saw two things. This Saffron and Coconut chips.....I love coconut anything!!!! The Chips are delicious!!

Anyways, I have been looking for Saffron for a long time, but at a reasonable price....which I guess is not too easy to find. But I think I found it here at Cosco's.  I have never cooked with Saffron, but have heard of lot's of Chef's that have....all you need is a few threads to make the taste come alive with a unique flavor and color. I want to make some saffron rice....that will be first on my menu.

So I got this cute little bottle of Saffron =1 gram for $10.50. I love this little bottle...that's what caught my eye and when I realized it was Saffron, it was a must to add to the spice cabinet.

I happened to walk through Walmart....you know, where things are CHEAPER!!! I found Saffron there too! You ready for this??????Their Saffron was $16.98 (retail) for 0.06 oz. IF YOU BOUGHT 1 OZ OF SAFFRON YOU WILL BE SPENDING $283.00 PER OZ.!!!!! Hard to believe, huh????

The Saffron comes from a flower, looks like there are only a few strains per flower....I shall have to type in Saffron to see what the flower is. Well, surprise it is a crocus....maybe I should try and grow my own????

"Saffron, botanical name crocus sativus, is the most expensive spice in the world. Derived from the dried stigmas of the purple saffron crocus, it takes anything from 70,000 to 250,000 flowers to make one pound of saffron. Moreover, the flowers have to be individually hand-picked in the autumn when fully open. Fortunately, only a little needs to be added to a dish to lend it color and aroma; too much makes the food bitter and as the quotation from Culpeper (below) suggests, large quantities of it can be toxic.
Records detailing the use of saffron go back to ancient Egypt and Rome where it was used as a dye, in perfumes, and as a drug, as well as for culinary purposes. It reached China in the 7th century and spread through Europe in the Middle Ages. The town of Saffron Walden, where it was once grown commercially, takes its name from the plant. Now, however, most saffron is imported from Iran (southern Khorason) and Spain which are recognised as producing the best quality, but it can also be found in Egypt, Kashmir, Morocco and Turkey."

So I made some rice and put a few sprigs in it....did not notice a difference in taste...although the rice did turn yellow....so that was fun.

Been working on my gardens, spreading red mulch. A little bit each day. But I have a feeling the weeds are winning the game. Our pile of mulch is getting smaller and we have not even started the front yard yet....oh my, I guess we will have to get some more.

Well, I think I will close this post for tonight before it gets any older. I do have 2 other posts in draft that I need to get going on...sorry you are getting old news.

Have a great evening and keep looking up, better days are coming.
Cheers~Louise