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how kesar is made
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Nutrition
Question #24619
32 days ago
79

how kesar is made - #24619

Christopher

I am curious about something and hope someone here can help me. I’ve always loved the taste of saffron, you know, kesar, and recently I decided to start using it more in my cooking and even for some health benefits I've heard about. But then I started wondering – how kesar is made? Like, what’s the whole process behind it? I tried looking it up online, but I just kept finding the same old stuff, and instead of giving me real details, it felt kinda vague. My grandma always said it was a delicate thing to harvest, but she never really explained how. I mean, is it really as labor-intensive as I keep hearing? I did find some info about how it's harvested from the crocus flowers, but even then, I’m confused! How kesar is made doesn’t just seem like one simple step, there has to be more to it, right? Anyone did this process or have firsthand knowledge? I'm really eager to learn!

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Doctors’ responses

Kesar, or saffron, is indeed an intriguing spice with a rich history and labor-intensive process of production. Yes, it's harvested from the stigmas of the saffron crocus flowers, specifically the Crocus sativus. The process is intricate and deserves attention because it's really a labor of love, patience and skill. To start, the saffron crocus bloom for a short period in the autumn. Each flower produces three vivid crimson stigmas, which are the parts used to make saffron. Farmers usually pick the flowers early in the morning to ensure the stigmas are at their freshest. This is crucial since, as your grandma might have hinted, saffron's flavor and aroma are delicate and can easily be lost if not handled with care. After harvest, the actual extraction of saffron involves separating the stigmas from the flower petals. This is done by hand painstakingly, one bloom at a time. Each stigma is extremely fine, and several flowers are needed to produce just one gram of saffron, reinforcing its pricy nature due to the significant amount of labor and flowers required. Once the stigmas are collected, they are dried to prevent them from spoiling. This drying process is crucial as it ensures the saffron stigma retain their chemical compounds, such as crocin which gives saffron its color, and safranal, which lends it fragrance. They may be dried over heat or in the sun, depending on traditional methods used in the region. Over-drying can, however, affect the quality of the saffron, so experience and precision are key. So, it's not just a simple harvesting process. Each step is vital to maintaining saffron's purity and potency, translating into the culinary and health benefits we all love.
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