I’m in Ottawa, but am trying to avoid going from store to store.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’m overdue to replenish my almond burfi supply, so I’ll check.
Farm Boy has a 1 gram pack. You could call your local store to make sure they have it in stock before you visit.
I haven’t tried their brand. https://www.farmboy.ca/?s=Saffron
(others who do not live in Canada, Ottawa has several Farm Boy locations )
It’s the internet. People will argue over anything from the safety of their keyboards.
Some good advice for the future: never read the comments section
Weirdly, Carlo’s House of Spice, which is an Indian-owned spice shop in Kensington Market, and very affordable, where I buy my kashmiri chiles and other stuff in bulk, is charging $1 more for the same packet of Spanish saffron, relative to my bougie, usually slightly overpriced for spices and condiments, favourite butcher shop LOL. I haven’t figured that out yet.
I am sure the saffron would be a bit cheaper at one of 2 shops on Gerrard St, but that is a TTC ride away for me.
I tend to (actually “run away from”) the majority of YouTube comments and if an article is regarding politics, won’t even open the comment section, even if it’s the “side” I’m on. But I mistakenly thought saffron would be a safe topic,
I can only repeat my OG comment. I am consistently blown away by how contentious even the most harmless topics can get. People are angry, and the internet is the perfect place to blow off steam by yelling at strangers. Over anything. It’s toxic.
I plan on spending far more time offline this year.
Nothing is safe or sacred. Apparently.
I know you always try to keep things positive and diplomatic.
To @Phoenikia & @linguafood
I was going to post the aphorism:
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” but apparently the full version is:
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions while the road to heaven is paved with good actions.”
That makes me feel ever so slightly better.
Love is an action.
after reading this i went back and read all the comments to date. while i found a very small number of comments to be negative and/or downright trolling, the number of positive & supportive comments far outweighed the negative ones.
it seems quite a few folks grow saffron for personal use, which is a good thing, imo.
i learned some things too - like crushing the threads in hot (not boiling) water & using that water to cook with to extract a lot more of the spice’s flavor.
My wife is growing saffron in our garden. The yield isn’t much, but it’s enough to obviate the need for store-bought saffron most of the time.
Where are you getting the seeds or whatever they start with? And what time of year is the growing season (Bay Area)?
Saffron crocus grows from a bulb, not a seed.
The type that grows in California apparently blooms in the fall, but it appears most places that sell the bulb are sold out. Pre orders in March for some companies.
I guess some varieties bloom in the fall in California.
https://shesrootedhome.com/southern-california-premier-saffron-farm/
Poppy says she gets them from Renee’s which is sold out.
I’m going to try to remember to bring it up on the 2025 food garden thread when they are available for this fall. There’s a link to get an email when they are available.
Another source for California
Yes, the growing season here is fall. My wife got her bulbs from Evergreen Nursery in San Leandro.