How to detect pure saffron | ways to check the quality of saffron
What is saffron?
Saffron has long been called red gold because of its high value and price. The high value of saffron and its rarity has caused some profiteers to cheat and faint in this valuable spice and sell counterfeit saffron to customers instead of pure saffron. One of the methods of cheating is replacing colored flowers with saffron. They also sometimes spray saffron, oil, candy syrup, or saltwater on the threads to gain weight. Here we are to discuss how to detect pure saffron and also, we want to introduce a trustworthy saffron brand you can rely on.
Parts of the Saffron plant
Saffron is a plant that grows through its bulbs. The bulb of this plant has a brown straw that protects it. After the bulb is planted, it begins to grow and form a stem at the end of which a bud is formed. After flowering, you will encounter a purple flower with 6 beautiful petals that protect the 3 red stigmas. These three red stigmas are the same delicious substance that is prepared with great effort. In order to detect pure saffron, you need first to know the different parts of saffron.
- Three petals and three sepals of the same color purple so that the sepals are difficult to distinguish from the petals
- It also consists of three tribes whose flagpole is twice the length of the tribe itself. The color of the tribe is yellow with the pistil in the center of the flower.
- The pistil has a white style that leads to a red triangular stigma that reaches a length of 30 mm, which is the most valuable part and has a very high material value.
Types of pure saffron
Unlike other spices, saffron has different types, in each of which, the saffron threads are not the same, and this difference depends on the type of harvest, separation (filling) of saffron flowers, the climate of the region and finally its quality. Bear in mind that Iran has the purest saffron in the world and Kashmir saffron, Spain saffron, and Afghanistan saffron are the weaker types. Knowing different types of saffron may help you detect pure saffron from a fake one. We have listed the types of saffron from the highest quality to the lowest quality. By reading this part you may perceive how to detect pure saffron.
- Super Negin Saffron: In Super Negin Saffron, the percentage of safranal and crocin has their highest amounts and has a very high color and aroma compared to other types of saffron.
- Pseudo Negin saffron: The coloring of this type of saffron is far more than other types of saffron, but it does not reach Super Negin saffron (Quality wise).
- Negin saffron: In Negin saffron, there is no curvature and curvature of saffron threads and the branches are separate and completely red.
- Sargol saffron: There is no yellow or white threads of saffron (root) in Sargol saffron and it is the most widely used type of saffron.
- Pushal saffron: Pushal saffron is saffron that has red stigmas with some style.
- Saffron batch: In this type of saffron, saffron stigmas are dried by stacking them together.
- Saffron root: The white part of saffron that is at the end of the saffron stigma is called saffron root.
How to make fake saffron
In order to detect pure saffron from fake ones, you should better know the ways of making counterfeit saffron. One of the common methods is to use colored corn silk instead of saffron. Increase the saffron weight by storing it in wet places is another way to make saffron impure.
Ways to detect pure saffron
In order not to have problems in preparing saffron, it is better to buy it from trusted shops and well-known brands. But to distinguish pure saffron from impure saffron, we will describe some characteristics of pure saffron below.
- Less color along each saffron thread indicates the low quality of saffron.
- The smell of pure saffron is sweet, and if you taste some of it, it will be a little bitter.
- In order to recognize Sargol saffron, all saffron threads must have the same color.
- Sometimes its appearance and aroma are good, but the crushed pieces can be seen in it, which is not a problem.
- Pure saffron is not greasy.
Detecting pure saffron through its color
Put some saffron in boiling water. If after 5 minutes the color of the threads fades and turns white, it indicates fake saffron. So, one of the easiest ways to answer the question; how to detect pure saffron is via boiling water.
Use of methane gas to detect the pure saffron
In order to answer the question; how to detect pure saffron, methane gas comes in handy! Methane gas is a powerful indicator for pure saffron. Put some saffron on methane gas. If its color becomes purple or orange, it indicates that saffron is pure. But if saffron turns yellow, it indicates that the saffron is impure and counterfeit.
Stigmas of pure saffron
Another part of saffron is stigmas. Stigmas should not be too shiny, saffron and corn are very similar in stigmas. Corn silk or stigmas are straight, but for saffron these threads are curved. These curves in saffron are a sign of quality and originality.
Avoid purchasing fake or impure saffron
Counterfeit saffron has a lot of impurities and its consumption can have side effects. Of course, taking it once or twice does not necessarily cause cancer, but it has dangerous effects in the long run. If a person uses this substance a lot and has a background of allergic diseases, after a few years, he or she will get severe diseases and its consumption can cause complications such as allergies and even poisoning. With reading this post, you actually understand how to detect pure saffron from counterfeit saffron.
Buy from farmers directly by Roda Guldet
At Roda Goldet, we buy pure saffron directly from our farmers in Iran and there is no intermediary between us. This is why farmers benefit more and we also get purer saffron. So if you want pure saffron at a very low price, be sure to visit our site and find more information there.
Free shipping, recyclable packaging, and purchasing directly from farmers are the characteristics of our saffron! We are in Sweden, but our products are from oriental lands!
Also, if you have a restaurant or pastry shop, we offer you extremely attractive choices. We have very farm land in the best saffron cultivation area, namely Qaenat, Iran, where we can meet all your needs en masse. If you want to know more about which countries the best saffron comes from look at our article here. So, if you are looking to buy a high volume of saffron, be sure to visit our website. If you buy saffron from us, you even won’t need to know how to detect pure saffron from fake ones!