These delicate, orange flowers will grow and self-seed easily, meaning you can enjoy them every year. Besides having many health benefits, you can use calendula as a saffron substitute. The dried petals are also known as ‘Poor Man’s Saffron’. Get the same taste and colour of saffron, but without the cost by growing and drying calendula flowers. Read on to find out more…
Calendula as a saffron substitute
Saffron spice has a tangy, peppery taste and is often used as a flavouring in soups, stews, risottos and pasta dishes. Dried calendula petals taste very similar.
Firstly, read the post on how to grow and dry calendula.
Then, once the flowers are dried, pick the individual petals off the main stem and store them in a glass jar.
Place on your spice rack and enjoy saffron-tasting spice every year, at no cost.
