Quote Originally Posted by Alan H
Incidentally, there are 28.4 grams per ounce.

If saffron today, costs $4.95 per gram, then that means it's $140 an ounce....what did it cost in the 17th century, in ancient Eire? And a leinte is a BIG piece of material, you know?
The thing is, saffron, the dye, is related to but not the same as the spice. When you have removed the stigmas, you are left with the rest of the flower, whch is the source of the dye. You can buy a packet of the dried flowers at ethnic grocery stores here in Las Vegas for a dollar or so. One packet will dye enough fabric for about 1 1/2 leintes. The resultant color, incidentally, is a nice canary yellow, as per Matt. (My shirt for wearing with my feiladh beagh for Renfaire was done that way.)

Saffron is actually a Crocus (_Crocus sativus_), It's native to the Mediterranean region, but in the US will grow from the Arid Southwest to the milder parts of interior Alaska. It does best in a climate with cool to mildly warm summers and mild winters, like the British Isles. It's not too picky, though, my wife grows it successfully here in the Mohave. Actually picking the stimas is a pain, however. Of course, manual labor came cheaper back then, and you don't have to recover the spice before using the flower for dyestuff.

Will Pratt