Instruction for Purchasing Saffron

Be watchful and careful while purchasing saffron. Stigma, style, bulb and strings of saffron flower may be colored by Brazilian wood. Generally, power of coloring of saffron should be taken into consideration which differs from any other coloring agents.

Marigold is mostly colored with methyl orange. Turmeric, pepper, stigma or corn maize silk and even poppy is colored and sometimes, differentiation of them is a very difficult task. Sometimes, saffron may lose its natural and original color and taste through warehousing saffron in a humid and wet place and/or adding oil, honey, glycerin and/or solutions of nitrate, potassium, or ammonia and other methods, based on which, weight of saffron will be increased.

There are various methods for differentiation of pure saffron with fake one.
When pure and original saffron is spread on a warm water or half-warm (tepid) water surface, its color is turned into specific shape which can be distinguished from corms of saffron and/or small part of flower of marigold. Generally, color of pure saffron is like color of flower of marigold.
If solution of saffron in water in rubbed on surface of cotton, its color will turn into orange after a period of half an hour while wool will turn colorless and silk will turn into yellow.
It should be noted that fake or counterfeit saffron does not produce main and red color of saffron.
If saffron is squeezed and fat is remained in between fingers, saffron is pure and original which is the most appropriate method of distinguishing saffron.
Of course, there are specific scientific and laboratory methods for distinguishing counterfeit saffron which include coloring reactions, chromatographic methods, chemical criteria and microscopic studies.