Safflower Seeds,
Corrales Azafran
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Description
A wonderful and easy-to-grow substitute for true saffron in cooking! Safflower has many uses and is one of humanity’s oldest crops. Long before true saffron was cultivated, safflower was already a major crop in ancient Egypt. It later spread to ancient Greece where it was called Karthamos, and all the way to China. The Arabs brought it to southern Spain, where in the 12th century they selected a spineless strain (safflower is from the “thistle” family). The village of Corrales was founded on the banks of the Rio Grande, and the Spanish colonists had brought safflower seeds possibly collected from their stop in the Island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands, where a famous strain was then cultivated. This Corrales Azafran strain has stayed close to this original seed brought to New Mexico. It is widely adapted; flowers can be used as a coloring spice, or dried to brew tea and a dye with a deep orange, almost red, pigment. The young plants make a delicious leafy green. The seeds can be pressed into oil. The deep taproots are a very efficient soil breaker. The people of Corrales, New Mexico, are working to keep cultivation of this local variety alive; the local seed library received seed collected from the late Corrales farmer Annie Chavez, who was known for creating wreaths from the flowers she grew on her farm.
Growing Tips: Once established, prefers somewhat dry conditions. Needs excellent drainage in high-summer rainfall climates.
Plant Details
- Botanical Name
- Carthamus tinctorius
- Life Cycle
- Annual
- Sun Requirement
- 8–12 hr.
- Days to Germinate
- 7–14
- Days to Maturity
- 75
- Planting Depth
- ¼ in.
- Plant Spacing
- 10 in.
- Ideal Temperature
- 60–70°F
- Frost Hardy
- No
When to Grow
How to Sow and Plant
How to Grow
How to Save Seeds
FAQ
What can I use Corrales Azafran for?
Quite a lot. The flowers can be used as a coloring spice or dried to brew tea, and they yield a dye with a deep orange, almost red, pigment. The young plants make a delicious leafy green, and the seeds can be pressed into oil.
How do I harvest and save Corrales Azafran seed?
Let the flowers fade and the large, pointy seed pods form and turn brown and dry. Wearing gloves, carefully pry the seeds free from the pods and store them in a cool, dry, dark location until spring.
Will it handle dry, difficult ground?
It is widely adapted and very drought tolerant, and once established it prefers somewhat dry conditions. Its deep taproots are a very efficient soil breaker. Give it well-drained soil, since it is sometimes prone to rots and fungus in poorly drained, excessively soggy ground or where humidity remains too high.
