Chicory Question

[vfem]

Just because I'm not confused, so I want to ask.

I was told chicory is the root of the endive.

So when I grow endive for the greens, I can harvest the root.... and use to make chicory coffee? Or does it have to be a specific type of endive?

Just curious!

 

[897tgigvib]

It's a special variety vfem. I saw it in some online seed catalog, can't remember which one. maybe seeds from italy? or maybe johnny's?

 

[hoodat]

I grow the looseleaf variety as rabbit greens and I tell you they have some HUGE roots. They push up out of the ground and I'm always tripping on them. To make chicory for coffee first you have to dry the root either whole or slice it first. The dried root is then baked in the oven to get it crisp and ground. You can use a coffee grinder to grind it. Chicory flowers the second year and bees love the flowers. After flowering the root will slowly wither and rot away. If you allow the seed to ripen you will have chicory all over the yard.

 

[lesa]

Chicory is very common in my lawn... When the real grass is dry and not growing, the darn chicory sends up its flower stalks and I have to mow!

 

[digitS']

I am going to risk adding to your confusion, V.

Witloof chicory is sometimes called Belgium endive. Johnny's seed have a wonderful couple of chicory pages but they have called a Cichorium intybus, Witloof chicory, Belgium endive.

Leafy endives are Cichorium endivia. I wish they'd just leave the name "endive" within that species.

I once grew a bed of Witloof chicory. I had never tasted it; never had radicchio at that time, either. My idea was to harvest the roots and use them to grow winter salads! Good Heavens! Not for me! And no, I discovered that I didn't like radicchio. They are all too bitter!

There was a great big box of the roots in my basement. I began to grind them up, roast them, and use them for a coffee substitute. They were quite good . . . Since I am now a user of decaffeinated coffee, maybe I should again grow a variety of Cichorium intybus. I went on from Witloof chicory to try dandelion roots. There isn't much difference! I like them both .

I don't know what the wild chicory, a Cichorium intybus, amounts to as a coffee substitute. The weed is such a scraggly thing around here that I can't imagine that the roots are much good. Besides, I never notice it until it flowers. Hoodat has told us that the plant has HUGE roots where it grows in the South.

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

There is a wild chicory weed here in north california too. I think it's pretty, especially when it shoots up the flower stalk. Prettiest alongside roads.

 

[hoodat]

Wild chicory is pretty but it isn't much use as food. Chicory does have medicinal values however and the wild is best for that purpose.
I was intrigued to find that chicory root also has a place in Wiccan rituals.

 

[so lucky]

In the clay/rocky areas around here, the only thing that grows right up to the pavement on country roads is chicory. Pretty sky-blue, very tough. I've seen it in white and pink rarely. It seems to thrive on bad soil, pollution and drought.

 

[hoodat]

Chicory will survive some pretty tough conditions but in good soil with enough water it will go like crazy. I can cut my broad leaf chicory right to the top of the root and it will recover in a week or ten days and be ready for another cutting. It just never gives up.

 

[vfem]

Well, I have no interest in growing it now! LOL

I was just confused since I do have endive growing, which turns out was not very delicious to me... so its split between the chickens and rabbit. I was just curious about the root. If it did belong to the same family, I was just thinking it wouldn't be a total waste after all since I do like chicory coffee. But I won't plant it on purpose now. hahahaha

Thanks for the great info guys, I knew I could count on you for the answer.