Saffron is the most expensive spice on the planet. It takes more than 75,000 hand-picked blossoms (each blossom has only three saffron strands) of the winter crocus to make one pound of saffron. An acre of crocuses produces only 2 1/2 pounds of saffron. This bottle of Spanish Mancha saffron threads weighs .01 oz. Please buy saffron in threads, not grounds, to assure yourself that you are not purchasing ground-up marigolds.