The Beginning
Rita, an avid cook and gardener began growing saffron in her yard in McLean in 2007 after spending 60 dollars on spice to make chicken tagine, a Moroccan dish which features a 10 dollar chicken, a handful of olives and some salted lemons. Bulbs were ordered, and in typical Rita fashion, the instructions were ignored for planting and nothing happened that year. On Halloween 2008 an explosion of heavenly fragrant purple crocuses appeared!
Growing Saffron
Fast forward to 2018, online exploring of old homes on over 40 acres uncovered a national historic home located within walking distance of downtown Orange. We broke ground in late Summer of 2021, planting 15,000 bulbs on a few acres. Our first harvest in November of 2021 resulted in over a pound of saffron. Success!! The secret is that we have amazing soil and weather. Because of this, vineyards are abundant from Culpeper to Charlottesville.
Saffron thrives in sunny spots that mirror the condition found in wine regions — warm summers and cool winters. Almost any location worldwide can become a saffron haven if it meets these criteria. The key to a thriving saffron crop lies beneath the surface. Saffron prefers deep, well-drained soil, whether it’s clay, sandy or loamy. Good drainage is also your ally against fungal diseases. A quarterly dose of organic fertilizer after blooming does wonders for your soil’s condition, warding off diseases and encouraging corm growth and flowering. Since we grow hay at the farm, we use a layer of straw as mulch. We usually have a bale or two that loses its binding (the big 6 foot ones), which is perfect to spread over the rows. We put weed barrier between the rows, and our chickens add some great organic fertilizer. Saffron plants need occasional rain, so the natural cycles we have in Virginia are perfect. I have rarely had to water them. Each year, the mother corms produce smaller daughter corms. To maintain a healthy and productive saffron bed it’s recommended to lift, divide, and replant the corms every four years.
Lessons Learned
Deer love saffron bulbs. In Summer of 2024 a new field has been planted this time with a very tall fence. We have a couple of hives, so the fall bloom provides a final run of pollen for them and produces amazing honey! Saffron produces a calming effect on most all life forms, so if you decide to plant don’t be surprised if you start singing or feel very happy when you pick your flowers. The bees will lay on their backs in the open blooms lounging in the sunshine.
Harvesting and Drying
The preparation of saffron is reportedly difficult, which I have to disagree with. The flowers are easy to pinch off mid stem, they go into a half bushel basket that even when full is an easy carry to the house. The picking lasts about 4 days, we wait until the flowers are fully bloomed and the stigmas are deep orange. We have two rotations for picking, one late morning (the flowers will close up at night) after they open, and another in midafternoon. Saffron season evenings are spent pulling off the petals and stamens and laying the stigmas carefully on a white linen cloth in a bright well-ventilated room to dry. Fortunately, the manse came with a 20 by 30-foot dining room and a very large table which is perfect. There are floor to ceiling windows which provide GREAT light and high ceilings and beautiful air flow. After about two days, the stigmas will have shrunk down to about two thirds of their original size and will be dry to the touch. This is the right time to put them in a well-sealed container preferably not glass. You don’t want the light. For my personal use I also use the stamens. They are a happy yellow color, so they don’t give off the traditional saffron color when cooking, but the flavor is great, and will double your yield.
About the Historic Farm
The Farm in Orange was established in 2019. We are located in the town of Orange, Virginia on a National Historic property called “The Old Manse”. Old Manse is a landmark house built in the Greek Revival style in 1868 for Reverend Isaac W.K. Handy, pastor of the Orange Presbyterian Church from 1865 to 1870. Another important resident, Justice George Landon Browning resided at Old Manse from 1910 until his death in 1947. Browning was a justice on the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals from 1930 until 1947. During the early 20th century, Colonial Revival details were added to Old Manse, which was also expanded. The historic structures on the Old Manse property include a meat house, gas house, barn, corncrib, swimming pool, and pool house. You can visit the listing here: https://www.dhr.virginia.gov/historic-registers/275-5007/.
Buy Saffron and Saffron Bulbs
Saffron
We offer saffron in small and large sizes.
Small .5 gram ——————-$60
Large 1.5 grams ————— $150
For Larger amounts please contact us at msritajo@gmail.com
Saffron Bulbs
We offer pre-ordered bulbs that ship in July-August