measuring saffron -- how do you do it?

[AndreaReina]

How do you guys measure (and buy) your saffron? Use whole, fractional-gram packets? Measure with (tiny) measuring spoons? Count threads? Pinches? Weigh them?

I used to use italian powdered saffron, which came packaged in 1/8th gram packs, used whole multiples of those. Typically one or two. Devilishly expensive, but I'd poach them from my dad's kitchen so no skin of my nose. I've since moved out (of the country!) and can't find those packets, nor do I want to pay the packaging markup. I'm thinking about buying some from www.saffron.com, but don't have a way to portion it out in my cooking. The standard methods seem a little imprecise (pinches or teaspoon measures of threads), or way too laborious (counting threads). I'm thinking about getting a scale for it, probably in the .05 to .01 gram range of accuracy.

So, what's your method, and are you satisfied with its consistency when re-making the same meal?

[ScoopKW]

I use a tiny little spoon that I once used for dosing out another kind of powder.

As for where to buy, I use "We're low on saffron" as an excuse to vacation in Spain. I then buy in quantity and freeze it. I try to time it so that I'm low on cigars and low on saffron at about the same time.

[Please mentally insert an image of Saffron Monsoon (aka Julia Swaltha) from Absolutely Fabulous. I couldn't find an image that would pass muster with copyright.]

EDIT -- That was probably too snarky. In reality, I only do a few different saffron dishes. So I pinch an appropriate amount of threads. It doesn't take long to simply know how much to pinch.

Edited February 18, 2010 by ScoopKW (log)

[chezcherie]

i'm a generous pincher.

[Blether]

A friend brought me back saffron from Spain. I've only used it a handful (!) of times and I've just pinched. Like ScoopKW says, you quickly find out its strength.

Where I am, at least, the cheapest saffron available is from Indian or Pakistani-owned places selling spices by mail order. Most spices tend to be 1/4 or 1/5 of the supermarket price, and the saffron (last time I looked) was 35 bucks or so against an average 50.

[Shalmanese]

I just pinch. Drop a pinch in water & it's pretty easy to count the threads. My pinch is about 20 threads.

[santo_grace]

I just pinch. Drop a pinch in water & it's pretty easy to count the threads. My pinch is about 20 threads.

Good to know. My pinch is probably half of that and at times I haven't felt like it was big enough but was afraid to add more. Next time will be a big pinch.

[ScoopKW]

Good to know. My pinch is probably half of that and at times I haven't felt like it was big enough but was afraid to add more. Next time will be a big pinch.

You can always add more. Saffron is one of those things where a little is good. And more is not necessarily better. I'd rather have too little. Too much tastes like some sort of toxic chemical.

I threw a paella away once because I used too much saffron and the dish tasted like plastic. Never made that mistake again, I'll tell you -- waste of seafood, saffron, and a lot of cooking time.

[Toliver]

You can always add more. Saffron is one of those things where a little is good. And more is not necessarily better. I'd rather have too little. Too much tastes like some sort of toxic chemical.

I threw a paella away once because I used too much saffron and the dish tasted like plastic. Never made that mistake again, I'll tell you -- waste of seafood, saffron, and a lot of cooking time.

Thanks for the warning.

I have a dear friend who returned from a trip to Egypt where she went wild in a spice market and didn't know that she was buying an extraordinarily large amount of saffron. The bill floored her, to say the least. She gifted me a half a small spice jar of saffron which is a huge amount. I've never used or tasted it before so I am eagerly absorbing the comments in this discussion.

[egale]

I've bought Iranian saffron on line and was very pleased at the quality. Saffron that I've seen for sale in Turkey and Greece was definitely inferior. When cooking with saffron there are two main rules:

1) don't use too much (although it takes a LOT to be too much in my experience)

2) soak the saffron in a warm liquid (water, broth, milk) before adding it

I never measure saffron. I just take a generous "pinch" with my fingers.

Store saffron in a glass container in a cool dry dark place. If stored properly it should last three years.

[andiesenji]

I also use the "pinch" method but I use my spice pick-ups because my thumb and fingers don't fit into the container I use and this way I don't have to dump some out and return it to the container - the stuff blows away if you breathe anywhere near it and I hate losing even a couple of threads.

The amount shown is what I use for 3 cups (rice cooker measure) of raw rice.

This saffron was purchased from Vanilla Saffron Imports in San Francisco. The quality is excellent, great flavor, all threads, no dust at all.

Edited February 19, 2010 by andiesenji (log)

[Shalmanese]

If I ever need to extract saffron for a dish, I always put it in a few ounces of vodka, heat it to boiling in the microwave and let it sit & steep for at least 15 minutes. The alcohol in the vodka pulls out even more of the saffron flavor.

[ScoopKW]

If I ever need to extract saffron for a dish, I always put it in a few ounces of vodka, heat it to boiling in the microwave and let it sit & steep for at least 15 minutes. The alcohol in the vodka pulls out even more of the saffron flavor.

I am so trying that next time I make paella.

[AndreaReina]

Good to hear that Vanilla Saffron is quality stuff. I use wine for the extraction, since it's integral to the dish I make anyway (risotto alla milanese). Alcohol (from what I've heard and seen) doesn't need a high temperature, so I just put it into the wine the morning before I cook.

[andiesenji]

I've tried various liquids in which to infuse saffron, including warm honey (a medieval method) diluted verjus, different oils, even glycerin, and they all work well.

I have found that warming it a bit does help the saffron to "bloom" a bit faster.

[budrichard]

I used to purchase saffron by the ounce from reputable sources and never the powdered stuff which is adulterated with filler.

A simple pinch method with your fingers while rolling them to reduce the saffron threads is sufficient unitl you have the color/essence that pleases you.

But as with anything that has become valuable these days, many sources are unreliable and the cost in USD is way too high to justify its use anymore, so we do without and use annatto for color if needed.-Dick

Edited February 25, 2010 by budrichard (log)

[mr drinkie]

When buying saffron look for dark-red threads as these are higher quality. Dark red threads come from the top of the Crocus flower stigma, which has more flavor, and lighter threads come from the base of the stigma, which is a lower quality. I don't use that much saffron (though I did just a couple of days ago), but Cook's Illustrated in a taste test recommended Morton & Bassett and Penzeys brands.

If you want to know a bit more, Penzeys has some information about where the best saffron comes from and the different qualities.

k.

[andiesenji]

A few months ago I ordered some spice blends (specifically the Ethiopian sweet spice blend) from the following vendor and also got some of the Tallouine saffron which I used when I made a saffron cake. I had other saffron, which had been in the cupboard longer and wanted to use it up before using more of this one.

It was very good, with very long, dark red threads which produced what I consider exceptional color and flavor as it gave the cake the bittersweet, almondy flavor that had been lacking in other saffrons I have used in the past couple of years.

http://search.store.yahoo.net/cgi-bin/nsearch?catalog=yhst-74989174089924&vwcatalog=yhst-74989174089924&query=saffron&x=9&y=13