saffron Drying

One of the main factors in the quality of saffron is the way it is dried. How to dry it is very important.

No matter what size you have saffron, whether you are a farmer or you planted it in your small garden, it is better to know the best way to dry saffron.

Components of saffron

Saffron flower consists of petals (purple color), anthers (yellow color) and stigmas (red color).

Generally, the stigmas are dried, but sometimes the petals can also be dried.

Methods of drying saffron

fresh air
exposed to the sun
on the stove
Homemade saffron drying machine (Spanish method)
Electric oven
Iron method

fresh air

The first and most important point in drying saffron is to remove the stigma from the petals immediately after collecting the saffrons. Because saffron spoils quickly and removing the stigmas as soon as possible has a great impact on the quality of saffron.

To dry saffron in the open air, you must first separate the stigmas from the petals. For this, take the end of the petal and separate all 3 stigmas together. Then put the separated stigmas on a clean cloth. And put it in a room that is free from pollution and dust.

Note: It is not necessary to spread the stains on the fabric. This will spread the pollen.

Another method is that you can put the stigmas you removed on a sieve and put a clean cloth on it and place it in a dust-free room.

Advantages of the open air method

Suitable for high volume
Maintaining the quality of saffron
Simple and easy method

Disadvantages of open air method

Saffron color change
Long drying time

Exposed to sunlight

Put the stigmas on a clean cloth or sieve and expose them to the sun. In this method, it takes about 8 to 12 days for the saffron stigmas to dry.

Advantages of sunlight method

Maintaining the quality of saffron
Suitable for high volume
Simple and easy method

Disadvantages of sunlight method

Saffron color change
Long drying time
Not suitable for low volume

on the stove

Naturally, this method is very suitable for winter. Like the previous methods, put the stain on a clean cloth or sheet and let them dry on the heater.

You can refer to the article for information on export packaging to “Guide to packing saffron for export“.

Advantages of Bukhari method

Maintaining the quality of saffron
Easy and accessible method

Disadvantages of Bukhari method

Long drying time
Suitable for low volume

Homemade saffron drying machine (Spanish method)

You can make this device at home. If you put a shelf in front of the heater, the temperature of the heater should be 65 degrees Celsius. Then put a tray, mesh or fireproof paper between the shelves and place the stigmas on it.

Turn on a ceiling fan and leave it on low for ventilation. After the stigmas have been in front of the heater for about 15 to 20 minutes, transfer them to another net and place them again between the rack and the front of the heater. Repeat this movement 3 times until the stains are completely dry.

Note: If your saffron volume is not large, you can dry it on the stove.