La Nadalle saffron farm, organic            

Cultivating, harvesting and the Saffron

Crocus Sativus does not exist in the wild. Its vegetation is reversed: flowering takes place in October / November while the dormant period is during the summer months. The bulbs are planted in July / August, 20 cm deep. They are thus protected from frost. The saffron stays in place for 3 to 4 years.

In full maturity, a saffron produces on average between 6 and 9 flowers per bulb. It takes between 150 and 200 flowers to produce 1 gr. saffron.

In autumn when the first flowers appear, for 4 to 6 weeks ,each day is divided into 2 stages: picking flowers in the morning and pruning in the afternoon. Pruning consists of removing the stigmas from the pistil. The latter are dehydrated and bear the name of SAFFRON following a weight loss of more than 80%.