Saffron crocuses are planted in summer, bloom in October–November for only about two to three weeks, and must be picked by hand before sunrise the same day they open. The three red stigmas inside each flower are then separated by hand and dried over low heat the same day. From flower to finished tin, every step is manual.
Planting (June–August)
Corms (the underground bulbs) are planted in well-drained soil, 4–6 inches deep. Fields are rotated every 4–7 years. The crocus needs cold winters and dry summers — exactly Herat's climate.
Bloom (October–November)
Flowers open just before sunrise and close again by afternoon. The window is roughly 14–21 days per year.
Picking (dawn, by hand)
Pickers walk the rows before sunrise. Each flower is picked at the base while the petals are still closed. The pace is about 8,000–10,000 flowers per picker per day. One acre yields roughly 8–10 pounds of dried saffron over a typical season — sometimes less.
Stripping / depuration (same day)
Within hours of picking, workers separate the three red stigmas from each flower. This is the most labor-intensive step. A skilled worker can strip about 30,000 flowers a day — yielding only about 200 g of dried saffron.
Drying
Threads are dried gently — traditionally on woven trays over low heat, or in modern temperature-controlled cabinets. The goal is to evaporate moisture without burning the volatile aroma compounds (especially safranal). Drying takes 30–60 minutes.
Sorting and grading
Threads are sorted by cut (Super Negin, Negin, Sargol, Pushal, Bunch), checked for color, smell, and uniformity, and packed in airtight containers away from light.
Why this matters for what's in your tin
Every step is a quality fork. Harvest at the wrong hour, dry too hot, store too long, and the threads lose color and aroma fast. The Raihan supply chain is short by design: family farm → cleaned and dried → flown to Lynn → packed → shipped.