Saffron Sargol Negin Persian Pure Grade 1

Persian Basket is proud to offer Pure Grade Highest quality grade 1 Saffron Sargol Negin. Negin literally means jewel in Persian. Persian Basket does NOT add weight with the lower yellow part of the stigma (Pushal), so the saffron you will receive is pure quality. Saffron has a long medicinal history as part of traditional healing. Studies have shown that Saffron has anti-carcinogenic and high antioxidant properties. This delicate spice is one of the most labor intensive spice in the world. To produce 1 gram of top quality saffron takes 150 Saffron flowers. Saffron has a bitter-sweet taste paired with a hay-like fragrance that gives food a rich golden color. Saffron can be used in Saffron cake, saffron bread, paella, couscous and polow/pilaf rice just to name a few. To get the most out of your saffron don’t add the strands directly to the dish. Instead crush them to release the flavor. Saffron could be described as the prima donna of the spice cabinet. For starters, it's the most expensive spice (by weight) in the world. In addition, it requires special treatment to fully extract its unique flowery, pungent, almost bitter character and deep orange color that give some of the best Chicken, rice and dessert dishes out there! Saffron's high cost is due to the fact that the threads are the actual stigma of a particular crocus flower and must be harvested by hand. Fortunately, a little bit of saffron goes a long way. In fact, too much saffron can ruin a dish with an overpowering, medicinal taste. So in practice, saffron actually costs not much more than most seasonings. When shopping for saffron, look for evenly colored, vivid red or deep orange threads. Lighter colored threads or a lot of pale streaks indicate lesser quality. Avoid powdered saffron, which is always cheaper but often inferior and adulterated with other flavorings. Persian Basket carries Pure Grade A Sargol Saffron Crush and soak saffron to release its flavor. Saffron threads are quite frail and can easily be crumbled between your fingers, although for a more uniform powder, use a mortar and pestle. Measure (or count) saffron threads before crushing. A "pinch" is about 10 medium saffron threads. Saffron needs moisture to release its flavor. The best way to extract flavor from saffron is to soak the threads in hot (not boiling) liquid for 5 to 20 minutes. Then add both the saffron and the liquid (water,stock or wine is often used) to the recipe. As the saffron soaks, you'll notice the distinctive aroma indicating that your saffron "tea" is ready. When adding saffron to soups, stews, salad dressings, and other recipes with a lot of liquid, you can simply toss the crushed threads in with the rest of the ingredients. We still find, however, that to get a deeper, more pervasive saffron flavor by first soaking the crushed threads and then adding them. For traditional rice recipes, cooks first toast the saffron threads in a dry skillet to bring out the volatile flavors. And then crushed with a bit of sugar or salt. 1 gram