Saffron

[HotStuff]

It's a very expensive spice, a positive goldmine: surely someone would be growing it already in this country on a massive scale, if they could?

This is from the Wikipedia article on the History of Saffron:

England emerged as a major European saffron producer. Saffron, according to one theory, spread to the coastal regions of eastern England in the 14th century AD during the reign of Edward III. In subsequent years saffron was fleetingly cultivated throughout England. Norfolk, Suffolk and south Cambridgeshire were especially heavily planted with corms. Rowland Parker provides an account of its cultivation in the village of Foxton during the 16th and 17th centuries, "usually by people holding a small amount of land"; an acre planted in saffron could yield a crop worth £6, making it "a very profitable crop, provided that plenty of unpaid labor was available; unpaid labor was one of the basic features of farming then and for another two centuries."

And there's the rub, the reason Saffron is so expensive is due to the fact that it has to be harvested by hand and thus labour costs are a huge factor. The reason it's not grown in this country on a massive scale any more is the prohibitive labour costs. I checked supermarket prices and it's around £7 a gram at the moment. If I can plant 60 corms in a 6ft by 4 ft plot and get enough Saffron for a decent home cooked curry once a month year after year I'll be happy.

[Two_Sheds]

But surely that's what they did in Essex Two Sheds - until the industry died out for something more profitable? East Anglia is also the dryest part of the country

I don't know if the bulbs were grown under cover in Saffron Walden...? E.Anglia is usually one of the driest parts, yes, but last year we had more wet days than dry, and our last three Augusts have been a total washout

it's around £7 a gram at the moment. If I can plant 60 corms in a 6ft by 4 ft plot and get enough Saffron for a decent home cooked curry once a month year after year I'll be happy.

Best of luck, it'll certainly look a pretty patch

[bazzaboy]

What an unusual if quirky thread… I have fond memories of Saffron Walden (centuries ago my first ever serious relationship was with a lass at a teeeeerrrribly posh ladies teacher training college there!) The town was originally called Chipping Walden (presumably because before growing saffron they sold chips? I jest, sheep/wool was the original industry), then in the C16th saffron took over (with many applications) resulting in the name change. According to Wiki “the flower was precious, as extract from the stigmas, the saffron, was used in medicines, as a condiment, as a perfume, as an aphrodisiac, and as an expensive yellow dye”. When these uses waned in the C18th so did the crop but the name remained. But whatever happened to.....? And obviously use in moderation HotStuff!

[bazzaboy]

Just to link two on-going discussions.... on saffron and the new Horticultural Channel, guru James Wong has an article on the one about the other at:
Exploring Saffron with James Wong

[HotStuff]

Nice one BB, thanks

[Glutton4...]

What an unusual if quirky thread… I have fond memories of Saffron Walden (centuries ago my first ever serious relationship was with a lass at a teeeeerrrribly posh ladies teacher training college there!) The town was originally called Chipping Walden (presumably because before growing saffron they sold chips? I jest, sheep/wool was the original industry), then in the C16th saffron took over (with many applications) resulting in the name change. According to Wiki “the flower was precious, as extract from the stigmas, the saffron, was used in medicines, as a condiment, as a perfume, as an aphrodisiac, and as an expensive yellow dye”. When these uses waned in the C18th so did the crop but the name remained. But whatever happened to.....? And obviously use in moderation HotStuff!

Now I understood it was called Bishop's Walden! I'm off to have a 'Google'...

[Glutton4...]

...and I can't find it, so I guess my memory is just faulty...