Saffron crocus in our yard

Saffron crocus grow and bloom in the fall of the year. Plant in August and harvest in October. The three red stamens seen here below the yellow syles, are the saffron spice. I picked mine with tweezers, dried them on a paper towel and stored in a tight lidded jar or zip lock bag. Each stamen is a "strand" of saffron as called for in recipes that use saffron such as saffron rice and paella, a Spanish dish with chicken, seafood and rice. Saffron costs between 500$ and 5000$ a pound and requires 70,000 plants to make a pound of saffron. Grown commercially in Southeastern Spain. !Vamonos! (Let's go!)

Count on eating something with saffron next time you stop by!