How to Harvest Chicory Roots and Leaves

How and When to Harvest Chicory Roots and Leaves

Imagine breaking free from the hustle and bustle of a typical Tuesday morning, where you find yourself surrounded by the impatient crowd on a busy corner of Main Street.

Instead of rushing to the grocery store or your go-to hot beverage dealer, picture a different scenario: stepping into your own backyard, where the means to make a delightful cup of rich, aromatic “coffee” awaits you.

The best part? This drink doesn’t contain a single coffee bean, and it can be yours with just a few simple steps. Curious yet?

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Let me introduce you to a favorite plant of mine, chicory! With its vibrant leaves and distinctively bitter flavor, chicory has secured a special place in various culinary traditions across the globe.

But chicory offers more than just versatile leaves for salads and cooked dishes. Its roots conceal a secret – a hidden treasure trove brimming with flavor and nutritional benefits, waiting to be unearthed.

In this article, we will explore the art of harvesting this plant, discovering the optimal techniques and perfect timing to unearth both its robust roots and delectable leaves.

Here’s what we’ll uncover in this article:

Navigating the world of chicory can be a bit perplexing, as there are various plants that bear the same common name.

Belgian endive (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum), curly endive (C. endivia), and radicchio (C. intybus var.radicchio) are all members of the same genus, and several of these are varieties of the same parent species,C. intybus, that many may have heard of.

While these various plants share certain