A:

Your experiment growing saffron sounds interesting. It is not commonly grown as a spice here in the Pacific Northwest and I'm not able to find any information about the lack of flavor. See Nebraska Extension's article on Saffron crocus. Or download a PDF from Washington State Extension on Grow Your Own Saffron.

Saffron production takes place in warm/dry climates such as Spain.

It could impact the taste if grown in different conditions. There was a recent Oregonian article about saffron where they are using a greenhouses for production.

As an experiment, you could grow some saffron in a cold frame or mini-greenhouse and some outside as a control group. The goal would be to determine if the warmer conditions improves the flavor.

Or, the lackluster flavor could be the result of the actual plant material you have on hand. You could try other varieties.

I hope this information helps.

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