Saffron being an expensive spice has various benefits. To relish the goodness of saffron, you would want to buy quality/real saffron. But of course, not all saffron is of the same quality. Sometimes when you want to buy saffron, you may end up buying low-quality saffron or you may be unaware of the difference between real and fake saffron. To counter this problem, there are some tests that can help you to identify high-quality saffron.
To test/check the quality of saffron there might be several ways but let us point seven them through which you can compare and contrast real and fake saffron.
1. Color release in cold water: Take a bowl of cold water and put a few saffron threads in it. You will see the “Real Saffron” will slowly change into a golden hue color. Wait for some time as the color change may take up to an hour. The saffron threads themselves retain their red color. And on the other hand, if the water changes color immediately or turns red or does not change color, or if the threads do not retain their color, the substance is not saffron. It is then “Fake Saffron” and is a sign of adulteration.
2. Rub the Saffron threads with your fingers: After soaking the Saffron threads in cold water for a few minutes, take out a pair of threads and place them on your finger. Rub the threads with your fingers back and forth two-three times. If the saffron threads fall apart or turn to dust or liquid then you are dealing with fake saffron, low-quality saffron. Pure Saffron threads will not break apart.
3. Taste it: You can also check the quality of saffron by placing a thread of saffron in the mouth. If you feel a sweet taste, then you have low-quality saffron. Quality saffron tastes slightly bitter.
4. Smell: Original Saffron should smell sweet, but never taste Sweet!
5. Color and shape: High-quality saffrons are deep red in color and contain little to no yellow color, and threads are trumpet-shaped.
6. Use baking soda: Finally, you can check the quality of pure saffron by mixing baking soda and saffron in a small cup filled with water. In case the mixture is yellow in color then the saffron is pure.
7. Price: If it is not too expensive, there’s a good chance it is not real saffron as it is known to be an expensive spice.
These tests can help you to get a real saffron and cherish its amazing benefits of it.
From where to buy quality saffron?
You can get pure quality saffron from Crimson Saffron from Kashmir. Crimson Kashmiri Saffron (kaser) is well known for its exotic fragrance and culinary taste. Crimson Saffron uses an old traditional method to carefully harvest their Kesar flowers. All of the saffron stigmas are meticulously handpicked, and only the best stigmas are chosen to pack. Saffron flowers are handpicked and processed manually to get silky threads called Saffron Mongra which is considered the best quality Saffron grade in the world. Crimson Kesar is the best and finest in quality. Not only because of its high cost but also because of the aroma and quality of taste that it brings to the dishes on which it is used. Crimson saffron, hygienically packed, gives you a taste and fragrance that is incomparable to any other.
Why Crimson Saffron?
Hailing from the land of saffron and with an unrivaled understanding of saffron, crimson saffron proudly introduces itself as one of the leading growers, traders, and exporters of Kashmiri Saffron. With a farming and cultivation history dating back more than 100 years in the saffron, we take real pride in our heritage and look to combine this with the best of present-day technologies to grow, process, grade, and pack the best quality of saffron in the market. From sourcing the best raw material to processing it correctly, we ensure that Crimson Saffron is pure, fresh, aromatic, and of the highest quality standards. Kashmiri Saffron is known for its health benefits and strong essence across the globe.
Capitalizing on its widespread popularity Crimson Saffron meets all international standards of quality in its packaging. We lay special emphasis on the packaging of our products so that they reach their destination in the best condition without losing their aroma, nutrition, taste, texture, and value.
There are numerous benefits of Kashmiri saffron one among them is it can be used for skin whitening. Check our latest blog on how to use saffron for the skin.
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