Chicory Root: How to Grow, Roast and Use it!

Though it is not native to North America, Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a familiar name and a familiar plant to many. It grows wild along roadsides and in meadows from late summer to fall, showing off its abundant blue blooms.

Others may have heard of chicory as a coffee substitute or coffee flavoring. The roots of the chicory plant as used as a hot drink on their own, with their earthy, nutty flavor working as a caffeine-free replacement for that morning coffee. It is also used as a flavoring for coffee when added to coffee grounds. This is especially popular in New Orleans, LA.

Where to Source Chicory Plants

Source: David’s Passage/YouTube

As mentioned above, chicory grows wild in many parts of the USA. Since it tends to grow along roadsides, Pollution and pesticides become an issue when harvesting from these areas. If you decide to forage for chicory, make sure that you take every precaution to gain a 100 percent identification, and be aware of your surroundings when harvesting.

Fortunately, it is actually really easy to grow chicory for yourself at home. The leaves of chicory can actually be eaten as salad greens. However, if what you are really after is the roots, growing it for yourself means that you can source the best seeds for this purpose. The ‘Magdeburg’ variety of chicory is grown for especially large roots—ideal for chicory coffee growing. That said, you can use the roots of any type of chicory plant, you just might not get quite the same harvest.

How to Grow Chicory at Home

Chicory is hardy to USDA zones 3-8. It is a cool tolerant plant and tends to pop up as early as mid-summer but can still be seen blooming well into fall. With good mulching, plants can survive light frosts, but you will likely lose your plants if you live in a cold climate. Wonderfully, chicory will self-seed, so letting the flowers dry on the plant and shed their seed means you will have chicory plants popping up next season.

Chicory plants can reach up to three feet tall, so bear that in mind when choosing a spot for them to grow. You can direct sow seeds about 1/4 inch deep after the last frost and as late as mid-May. Chicory isn’t terribly fussy about its soil conditions, but to help it along, make sure you have loose, compost-rich soil.

Once your seedlings have popped up, you can thin them out to a foot apart. Your plants will need about 6 hours of sun a day and about an inch of water a week.

How to Harvest and Process the Roots

Source: Ozark Oracle/YouTube

You want to harvest the roots of the plant in the first year. Older roots tend to be too woody and bitter. Your plants should be ready for harvest in about 120 days from sowing, but waiting until fall to harvest is ideal. You will pull the large taproot from the ground just like pulling a carrot. You can also carefully dig around the roots to loosen the soil if needed.

Next, wash your roots clean of any residual soil. If there are any parts that you wish to remove, you can use a vegetable peeler. Otherwise, you can leave the skin on the roots, as this is where much of the nutrition is. Now, it is time to chop the roots into pieces. The smaller the pieces, the faster they will roast. Try to keep a uniform size so that they roast at a similar speed.

Transfer the root pieces to a baking sheet, then pop it into the oven at about 200ºF for about two hours. All ovens are different, so you might need to adjust the temperature to suit your needs. Just keep an eye on the roots to ensure that they are not burning. The longer you leave them to roast, the richer the flavor will be—just like with coffee beans! When you bring the tray out of the oven, you will notice that the pieces will have shrunk quite a lot, and they should sound brittle and hard when shaken on the tray.

Lastly, use a coffee or spice grinder to grind the roasted root into a powder.

What Do I Do With My Roasted Chicory Root powder?

You can mix your chicory powder at about 1 part chicory to 2 parts coffee grounds and just make your brew as normal. You can also opt for a caffeine-free cup and make chicory tea. Simply add about one tablespoon of chicory powder to a cup of hot water and infuse as you would any herbal tea.

Note that chicory is a member of the Asteraceae family (daisy family) so should avoid it if you have allergies to this family of plants. Always consult a medical professional before using herbs medicinally. 

Related Content:

• 10 Plant-Based Coffee Alternatives!
• 4 Eco-Friendly Coffee Alternatives to Try!
• How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
• How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas at Home

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