We know that saffron smells like musky spices and flowers. They usually start to smell like the inside of a saffron jar while the oil is still hot and fresh. It is very hard to tell if you’ve just received real saffron when it’s still very hot to the touch. It can only be told once the oil cools down.
But in my experience, when I take the oil to a professional lab like the lab at my local apothecary, they’ll know whether or not saffron has come from your farm and how.
It’s usually easier to tell from the taste and smell. Just smell the saffron. When you’re a new saffron vendor, you can take the aroma for granted. I’d suggest putting a small amount in your mouth, and if you liked it go ahead and use it again.
But, the real test is to actually taste it.
As a new vendor, you have to come in and talk to the chemists, get some questions answered, then go back and talk to the chemists about some more questions. I think it helps if you wear lab coats as you walk inside to feel more comfortable. My chemists in my shop have taught me that you have to really be respectful to both chemists and the patrons of the shop.
Another thing to point out is that there is a certain stigma among the general public against the word “saffron”. The majority of the general population will not touch anything that looks like saffron. It’s usually because they see it as cheap, and that it is considered as a spice for eating but not really as a delicacy.
That being said, if you know how to use it right, and actually find that you have great recipes that have real saffron in them, then people will actually eat the saffron and not just the spices or flowers. Some herbs and spices will actually stay on your dishes, but it’s more about a natural aroma than a smell.
Remember to always keep in mind that if you want it to go well, it has to look great. We usually send out our samples with a few weeks worth of samples. So, I’ll send it off in December or January, and we might get it back, or I might not. But, it’s always good if you send it off right away. If it doesn’t turn out good for you, then you can always return the sample later
when is saffron harvested in morocco, growing saffron crocus in pots, where does saffron grow best, how to grow saffron indoors, how do you harvest saffron