Saffron

[Sagittarius]

Skilletickler - Achiote Oil and Annatto seeds

Saffron, like fleur de sel and white truffles, is just too expensive for me.
Will use achiote oil, annatto seeds & olive oil, for color knowing full well the taste is completely different.

Skilletlicker,

Thank you for posting the Video.

I have a colleague from South America who uses Achiote Chili Peppers and Achiote Oil and Annatto Seeds.

I have eaten Peruvian Cuisine in restaurants however, have never cooked at home with these ingredients ..

Thanks again for the Video. Highly inspiring ..

 

[CakePoet]

Most saffron Sweden uses in comes from Iran or Morocco , if I remember correctly. There is Swedish saffron too but that is expensive. I pay about 4 pounds for 1 gram, sometimes less at Christmas and sometimes more.

I will dig up my lovely recipe for saffron twice baked biscuits, it a favorite among my friend and neighbors. I just need to find it, my daughter has cleaned the bookshelf by hiding books she thinks are unimportant.

 

[GotGarlic]

Skilletlicker,

Thank you for posting the Video.

I have a colleague from South America who uses Achiote Chili Peppers and Achiote Oil and Annatto Seeds.

I have eaten Peruvian Cuisine in restaurants however, have never cooked at home with these ingredients ..

Thanks again for the Video. Highly inspiring ..

Achiote is a seed, not a chile pepper.

 

[Sagittarius]

Got Garlic - My typing error but could not correct

Achiote is a seed, not a chile pepper.

Yes, I know. My neighbor had told me how she uses these products ..

Fascinating ..

Thanks for the feedback ..
Have a lovely day ..

 

[blissful]

My eyes are starting to twitch.... I can't tell if it is the annatto seeds causing the reaction or just reading this thread.

 

[GotGarlic]

My eyes are starting to twitch.... I can't tell if it is the annatto seeds causing the reaction or just reading this thread.

I know the feeling... [emoji38]

 

[blissful]

I know the feeling... [emoji38]

+1, I started to inhale the essential oil of truth, and I'm much better now. Thank you for understanding.

 

[medtran49]

Now that we are home and thank goodness genny is working, I was putting the spices back up that we took with. There's enough saffron left from last time we used it for at least 3 more dishes. So for 5ish dollars, we'll get 4 uses out of the little container we bought. I don't think that's expensive, especially if you are making paella or osso bucco and are already paying $$ for ingredients.

Actual temps on fridge were 37 and 66. Hardly any ice had melted as there was very little water in bottom of freezer.and bottom bin of freezer. Had some frost melt in deep freezer, so we'll have to defrost it after power comes back on to be able to get whatever is on the bottom.

 

[Mad Cook]

Good afternoon,

Of course, besides Valencian Paellas or Risotto Milanese, what other dishes do you use Saffron for ?



Thank you in advance ..

Cornish saffron cake. Sporry, never made it so not sure what it's like

 

[Mad Cook]

Saffron, like fleur de sel and white truffles, is just too expensive for me.
Will use achiote oil, annatto seeds & olive oil, for color knowing full well the taste is completely different.

You only use a little at a time and it keeps for ages if you store it correctly. You don't use it only for colouring. There's flavouring involved too.

If you work it out you've probably spent as much all together on your substitutes as you would on the good stuff. Always buy the saffron threads not the powder that calls itself saffron and isn't.

I'm not well off but I prefer whenever possible to use good ingredients and the right ingredients.

Buy better, buy less!

 

[larry_stewart]

I've tried saffron in the past. Probably in rice dishes .
First time I got it, i opened it up and smelled it.
To me, it didn't smell all that great, but I wasn't sure if it was maybe something sitting on the shelf forever, not stored properly, cheap variety ...
So, years later, I tried it again. Similar experience, and haven't bought it since.
I'd like to taste a dish made by someone who knows what they're doing, so i can see what i'm missing out on.

 

[Dawgluver]

I have a tiny bit of saffron threads from Penzeys that I got I don't how many years ago. I think I used a couple threads maybe twice, in some rice, didn't detect any difference in flavor.

 

[Sagittarius]

Mad Cook - Thank you ..

Cornish saffron cake. Sporry, never made it so not sure what it's like

Shall do some research ..

Thank you for the idea and feedback ..

Have a nice weekend ..

 

[Sagittarius]

Larry: One must soak the threads in boiling water for 10 minutes

I've tried saffron in the past. Probably in rice dishes .
First time I got it, i opened it up and smelled it.
To me, it didn't smell all that great, but I wasn't sure if it was maybe something sitting on the shelf forever, not stored properly, cheap variety ...
So, years later, I tried it again. Similar experience, and haven't bought it since.
I'd like to taste a dish made by someone who knows what they're doing, so i can see what i'm missing out on.

Larry,

I am Barcelonés and have been preparing Paellas for a long time.

Take 5 to 12 strands depending on how many people you are serving a Paella or Rice to and soak the threads in boiling wáter for only 10 minutes in a glass bowl.

Then, pour the wáter with the saffron threads into your rice in your Pallera (pan to cook paella, metal with 2 handles ) when the rice is simmering ..

This is how we do it here ..

Have a lovely weekend ..

 

[medtran49]

While looking through our digital cookbook for another recipe, I came across another saffron recipe, yogurt and saffron marinated lamb chops that are grilled. It's not available online anymore and I copied and pasted, so can't post on here, but will send it IM if anybody wants it. We liked it, but had forgotten about it, been a long time since we made it.

 

[buckytom]

Hmm, a marinade? Sounds interesting.

I've had something similar once, but the saffron infused yoghurt was served as a sauce to go with the plainly roasted lamb.

 

[di reston]

At the moment I'm researching old English recipes, notably 'The Forme of Cury A Roll of Ancient English Cookery' compiled about 1390 A.D. Saffron was an important ingredient in many dishes dating back to that era, and it was cultivated in England. It was an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes then. I need to investigate further. The evidence is in Medieval texts, which are quite difficult to read, but I know that it was used in the kitchens of the wealthy. More news anon. The Middle English texts are fairly difficult to read, but I read English at University, and have grasped some knowledge of it. Whether those recipes still exist remains to be seen, but I do know that it was a precious ingredient in much of the cookery.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

 

[taxlady]

My understanding was that saffron was not uncommon across Europe in the middle ages. It would be locally grown, because they had loads of very cheap labour.

 

[Sagittarius]

Di Reston: Savory & Sweet

At the moment I'm researching old English recipes, notably 'The Forme of Cury A Roll of Ancient English Cookery' compiled about 1390 A.D. Saffron was an important ingredient in many dishes dating back to that era, and it was cultivated in England. It was an ingredient in both savoury and sweet dishes then. I need to investigate further. The evidence is in Medieval texts, which are quite difficult to read, but I know that it was used in the kitchens of the wealthy. More news anon. The Middle English texts are fairly difficult to read, but I read English at University, and have grasped some knowledge of it. Whether those recipes still exist remains to be seen, but I do know that it was a precious ingredient in much of the cookery.

di reston

Enough is never as good as a feast Oscar Wilde

Medieval texts are fascinating however, yes challenging to read.

Irani (Persians) and Turkish cuisines have used saffron since the VI century .. The Silk Route .. It is also quite common in desserts in Iran and Turkey ..

Spain is a fairly large producer (The Rurals of Toledo, is the Designation of Origin) so, I believe the Moors had brought it over to The Castilla La Mancha. Our Saffron Harvest is the last week of September every year.

As a matter of fact, we are flying to Madrid from Barcelona, and then shall rent a car and drive to the appellation ..

We, as a family (My Parents, My 2 daughter in laws and my in laws and I) prepare Paellas quite often for a Sunday lunch.

Thank you for the interesting post ..