Saffron is the world’s most expensive spice by weight, often called “red gold” for its intense color and value. The spice is exclusively derived from the delicate, crimson stigmas of the autumn-flowering crocus, Crocus sativus. Each purple bloom produces only three of these thread-like stigmas, establishing why the global market relies on countries like Iran, Spain, and Greece for the vast majority of its supply. For centuries, this prized commodity was scarcely produced in the United States, which has always been a major importer of the spice. Interest in domestic production is now growing, establishing small-scale farming operations in regions that meet the plant’s precise needs.
Current Saffron Producing Regions
Production has a long history in Pennsylvania, where the Pennsylvania Dutch community has cultivated the spice since the 1700s, primarily in the historic “Saffron Belt” counties. This region continues to produce saffron, known for its distinct, earthy notes.
States in the Northeast, particularly Vermont and New York, have shown strong yields in the New England climate. The University of Vermont established the North American Center for Saffron Research and Development, often utilizing high tunnels for protection. California also hosts small commercial growers who benefit from its Mediterranean climate. Experimental production is occurring in the Pacific Northwest and the Mountain West, offering a high-value, niche crop for small diversified farmers.
Essential Agricultural Requirements
The saffron crocus thrives only where specific environmental conditions are met. The plant requires a climate that mimics its Mediterranean and Iranian origins, specifically demanding hot, dry summers followed by cold winters. The intense summer heat is necessary to induce the floral buds within the corm, which is the underground storage organ of the plant.
Successful cultivation requires rich, well-drained soil, typically a sandy or loamy texture, as the corms are highly susceptible to rot if they sit in standing water. A slightly alkaline soil pH, ideally ranging from 7.0 to 8.0, is considered optimal. The plant is suitable for growth in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 8, which includes a wide range of the continental United States.
The Process of Cultivation and Harvesting
Cultivation begins by planting the corms three to four inches deep in late summer, typically between late July and September. Proper spacing allows the mother corm to multiply and produce daughter corms, which sustain subsequent harvests. Irrigation is minimal during the dormant summer but becomes important in the spring when the corms are actively growing.
The plant flowers rapidly in the fall, usually between late October and early November, requiring a period of “fast and furious” harvesting. The flowers must be hand-picked daily in the early morning before they fully open and wilt during the two-to-three-week blooming period. Once picked, the flowers are brought indoors, where the three crimson stigmas must be meticulously separated by hand.
This manual separation of the stigma is the most labor-intensive step, requiring up to an hour and a half to process 1,000 flowers. The final step is curing, where the threads are dried at a low temperature to reduce their moisture content to around 8 to 10 percent. This drying process concentrates the compounds responsible for saffron’s color (crocin), flavor (picrocrocin), and aroma (safranal), completing the transformation into the valuable finished spice.