Chickory

Chicory

Chickory root is a wonderful addition to coffee. You can spend extra money at the grocery store for fancy coffee with chickory added. Or you can harvest it yourself for free. As a bonus, roasting chickory root smells wonderful. The best time to harvest chickory root is late summer into early fall. The plants are really easy to identify while they are in flower. Chickory tends to grow along roadsides and is very common. In fact, probably the hardest part of harvesting chickory is finding a spot where it is relatively clean. Since you are using the root, it's important not to harvest too close to roads where run-off might concentrate chemicals in the soil. The best places to harvest are along 2-tracks and field edges. Check out this video for more chickory info.

Want to learn more about foraging? We have several plant walks, camps, and even an online Foraging Class. Check out our upcoming events page.

Not on the email list? Sign up so you don't miss a post. Get wild food recipes and regular updates on seasonal foraging conditions in south-central Michigan and the surrounding area. No spam, just local foraging info.