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Saffron Crocus bulbs

20 years ago

Once in a while we all come across a garden product, plant, or producer that stands out from all others because of excellence. I recently purchased some saffron crocus from a producer in Wilmot here in Tasmania. The bulbs were of such superb quality that felt the urge to share the source with other gardeners.

Like most amateur cooks I dreamt of growing my own saffron to use fresh for such dishes as paella but had experienced difficulty in either getting bulbs of a decent quality or purchasing them in less than wholesale quantities.

By accident I heard of Peter Huber at Wilmot a small farming community on the way to Cradle Mountain. Peter sold me the most perfect bulbs I have ever seen, in small quantity to suit my small herb garden, he is a mine of highly professional information regarding the culture of saffron and as it happened the use of the stigmas in cooking.

I can earnestly recommend Peter's product to anyone wishing to extend their culinary and horticultural experiences. Peters e-mail address is below.

John

wilmotsaffroncrocus@yahoo.com

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Comments (4)

Jamus_S
20 years ago
Thanks for the info John, I've got a few bulbs in, they produced leaves only in their first year so it'll be interesting to see if we get flowers this coming season. After reading your post I'm tempted to get some more from Wilmot. I use saffron in cooking quite often, my mother is french so I've grown up with it in sauces for seafood, fish, poultry, etc.
hellebore
Original Author
20 years ago
Dear Jamus,
Perhaps there might be a possibility of you sharing one of your mother's French recipes fusing Saffron? nothing that might be a closely guarded secret of course.

John
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They're autumn-flowering and they probably won't flower this year - but there's always one...;-(. Pop them into a mix that is guaranteed to dry out. They hate being left in the wet over their dormant time (spring to autumn). The leaves will come up soon and stay over the winter. Keep them moist-enough while they are growing. Around April they will start looking yellow - just like the other autumn crocuses. Let them dry off and keep them away from your summer watering system. Plant in September. Watch anxiously. Wait for those beautiful little cups with the amazing orange-y tassels and go 'Aaah' (I do!) I have this sort of memory that saffron is like tuber rose and tulip - the bulb flowers once then breaks into daughter bulbs and has to grow on to flowering size. Somehow you need to develop a 'succession' system so there are always some coming into flower and some growing up to size each year.
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alwazeroom4more, The Pawpaw,Asimina triloba doesn't have a separate male and female plant.It's the way the flowers are timed to be fertile that causes them to need another variety to produce fruit.The Sunflower variety is about the only one I've heard to be self fertile. There are other species related to Asimina triloba (Asimina incarna, A. longifolia, A. obovata, A. parviflora, A. pygmaea, A. reticulata, A. tetramera, A. X nashii)that grow more in the Southeastern US.Asimina Triloba requires about 400 chill hours. I have some seedlings,three varieties of A.triloba,but not sure if they are compatible in your zone. Oregon Grape also grows around here in abundance. Brady
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Hi Lynn- I have Crocosmia Lucifer- I would like to trade for all of your bulbs- tell me how many you want! Thanks- Kasha77
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Comments (6)
I had some in my yard and it did well. Unfortunately I had a lot of work done out front where the crocus were and they got trampled by the workmen. They don't seem to have survived. They are pretty and it's nice to get a crocus in the fall. This reminds me that I should get some more bulbs and re-plant. Now that things are finished out front, they should be safe. I guess I planted them originally in ignorance. Regular crocus do well in New England so at the time I assumed the saffron crocus would too. Seems to have been true.
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rivermint
20 years ago
Jamus please post your recipe in the forum. I have just put in a dozen bulbs (from diggers) - I know that it is an amazing spice and I love the fragrance, just not quite sure how to cook with it. Im sure others would be interested. John, you have done a great thing by publicising a small producer with such great service and knowledge. Should happen more often - maybe it might help slow the takeover by the substandard chain stores have engulfed the market. I hesitate to call them 'nurseries' as they have little or no plant knowledge to pass on. Jus.
leyla
20 years ago
Thank you for the info I have been looking for saffron crocus for ages and all I have been able to find are the flowereing ones which are useless for cooking, off course
Leyla

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