What Can I Do With Chicory Flowers?

Chicory for Medicine

• Chicory can be used for many herbal remedies since it contains chicoriin and intybin. You can roast chicory roots and grind them into a coffee substitute that is caffeine free, and helps heal your body in several ways. Both elements help stimulate appetite and digestion, and insulin produced in chicory aids in the digestion process as well as balances your blood sugar level.

  Chicory also contains detoxification properties that help eliminate toxins in your blood and liver. Arthritis pain, gout, and acne are all improved when toxins are removed from the body by your chicory intake. For this, make chicory tea with the dried roots, soak cotton cloth in the tea and apply to any areas that are inflamed or blemished. One other medicinal purpose is that chicory can be used as a laxative and headache reliever since it decreases inflammation in the body.

Chicory for Food

• The easiest thing you can do with chicory is add it to any salad so you take in additional nutrients and healing properties. The leaves are slightly bitter, so you may prefer to cook them rather than eat them raw and add other spices or vegetables to the dish.

  You can make chicory tea from the roots of the flower which will help aid digestion. Let one teaspoon of the dried root simmer in boiling water for about 15 minutes, strain the roots, and then drink the liquid.

  Wine can also be made by soaking the dried chicory root in one and a quarter cups of white wine for ten days. After that time, strain the wine and drink a small glass before meals to help prevent constipation.