Learn how to bloom saffron in 20 minutes. This no fail technique lets you get the most out of saffron and use it in numerous recipes. I've used this technique for years and years!
Saffron is one of the must-have items in your Persian pantry and is used regularly in Persian recipes such as saffron rice, saffron chicken and of course, saffron ice cream. In order to make the most out of this expensive spice, I'm going to show you how to bloom it. My method is easy to follow and results in a golden and aromatic saffron concentrate that you can use in lots of different recipes.
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Saffron, a Persian staple
Persian saffron is my one and only "must have" spice. I grew up in a home where my maman started making food early in the morning and the mesmerizing aroma of saffron always surrounded me, making me run into the kitchen while hypnotized by the gorgeous show of ingredients, aromas and my maman's magical hands and all the love that held us together.
A new method to bloom saffron
The way we bloom saffron in my family could be surprising for many. A common approach is to bloom it with hot water, which, in my opinion, shocks the saffron and doesn't give it enough time to bloom well.
In my kitchen, we actually sprinkle saffron on top of ice and let it melt at room temperature. Our reason for doing so is to give the saffron enough time to release its color and aroma as the ice melts. This is a no-fail method that I've been using for years and it always results in the best concentrated saffron.
Grinding saffron
To bloom saffron, you should always use ground saffron and never the threads. The traditional way to grind it is to use a pestle and mortar. Some would mix saffron threads with very little sugar and salt to make the process easier but I prefer to spend more time grinding it rather than altering the pure taste of it.
Frequently asked questions
Harvesting saffron in an extremely labor intensive task. Each saffron flower (known as crocus sativus) produces only 3 stigmas which are the saffron threads we use. The whole process should be done by hand because of the delicacy of the flowers. To make one ounce of saffron, 4000 saffron flowers need to be harvested.
There is so much you can make with just a little bit of bloomed saffron. Here are a few of our favorite savory and sweet recipes using saffron:
Joojeh kabab - Persian grilled saffron chicken kabobs
Saffron milkshake
Persian love cake
Tahchin – Persian savory rice cake
Zereshk polo morgh - Persian barberry rice with chicken
You can keep bloomed saffron in the fridge for up to 3 days. It's best to use it by day 3, otherwise it'll start losing its flavor and aroma.
More saffron recipes
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Step-by-Step Recipe
How To Bloom Saffron
Ingredients
- ¼ teaspoon ground saffron never use the threads without grinding them
- 2 ice cubes
Instructions
- Place the ice cubes in a small bowl or jar. Sprinkle ground saffron on top of the ice cubes and let it sit in room temperature until the ice is fully melted.
- Use immediately or cover the bowl or jar and keep it in the fridge for up to a week.
Notes
- You can use saffron in different recipes such as saffron chicken, saffron rice or saffron ice cream.
- Saffron is usually available in strands, you can use a small pestle and mortar to ground saffron.
- It's advised not to use saffron during pregnancy. Please consult with your doctor before consuming saffron if you're pregnant.
Anna
Can you use a spice grinder to grind the saffron? I'm sure it's not traditional, but I don't have a pestle and mortar and usually use a spice grinder (i.e. coffee grinder) for spices.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
You sure can, but I'd make sure to clean it very properly before and after grinding saffron.
Jo
I've always used warm water, but I'm now very curious to try your 'blooming' method. Thank you for explaining it. LOVE this [joojeh kabab] recipe!
Ali M
Thank you for the well-explained recipe. However, I think you meant "brewing saffron". Will try it next time I want to use saffron.
Shadi HasanzadeNemati
Both blooming and brewing would work, my method uses ice therefore I would call it blooming, if using hot water, brewing could be a term to be used.