When to Harvest Chicory Root?

Identification

• Chicory is part of the aster family and closely related to dandelion. Its 3- to 5-foot branched stems feature dandelion-like leaves that are concentrated in a clump near the base and decrease in size toward the top. Its flowers are about the size of a silver dollar and light blue with many narrow, square-tipped petals. Chicory has a long taproot, similar to a dandelion, which allows it to tolerate drought conditions well.

Growing

• Chicory is hardy and easy to grow in a garden. Plant chicory seeds early in the spring -- two or three weeks before the last frost. It prefers cool weather between 45 and 75 degrees F. Rich soil cultivated 18 inches deep will produce the largest taproot. Sow the seeds 1/4 inch deep and 1 to 2 inches apart in rows 24 inches apart. Keep plantings evenly moist and thin the seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart.

Harvesting

• Harvest chicory roots about 120 days after planting. If you are looking for them them in the wild, look in the summer or fall for large developed plants, which will have the biggest roots. To extract the long taproot, dig down around the plant with a shovel or spade. The roots are very long so it requires some work to get them out, especially in hard soil. Avoid pulling the root without digging around it because it will probably break off and you will lose some of the root.

Use

• After digging the root, scrub it and chop it into chunks to make roasting faster and more even. Bake them in an oven at 325 degrees until they are dry and brittle, stirring them occasionally. Grind the roasted roots and brew like coffee, using about 1 tbsp. of grounds per cup of water, or half the amount of coffee you would normally use. Or combine real coffee with chicory to create a mellower coffee drink. This is a common drink in New Orleans.