Harvesting chicory + dandelion roots + Seeds And a roasted dandelion and chicory root coffee substitute recipe!!

Autumn is fully underway, and plants stop flowering and growing upward as they begin to send all of their energy back down into their roots. This is why we want to harvest the roots of the plants that provide health benefits from their less visible source at this time of the year. This is when their medicinal and spiritual offerings will be at their peak. While the roots of the Chicory plant are not the only parts that offer us her many benefits, we will concentrate on them for today. Chicory is a great example of a plant whose roots we want to harvest because her roots have many benefits for our health. Closely related to her more well known cousin, Dandelion, she has a slew of her own very distinctive offerings. The most notable being a very high Inulin content. Inulin is a prebiotic fiber and here is what that can do for us: 

• Helps to promote a healthy gut microbiome, by providing nutrients for our beneficial gut bacteria. Our beneficial gut bacteria are integral for helping to keep inflammation down, allowing for better absorption of minerals, and keeping harmful bacteria in check. When harmful bacteria are not present we are reducing toxins and this leads to healthier liver and kidney function too!!
• Supports regular bowel movements which can prevent constipation and hemorrhoids, and even decreases the build up of excess hormones that can contribute to PMS, irregular menstrual cycles, Acne, and painful periods.
• This type of fiber allows us to feel fuller longer, so it can aid in weight loss by curbing overeating.
• Inulin has been shown to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, helping to reduce cardiovascular disease.
• Slows down the absorption of glucose into the bloodstream, which means better blood sugar control for those with diabetes and prediabetes. Chicory also contains a compound that helps our bodies have increased insulin sensitivity, which is helpful for those with PCOS.
• While Inulin may be the most notable of Chicory’s gifts, there are many more reasons to look to Chicory to support our health and wellbeing.
• Antioxidants
• Anti-inflammatory
• Bitter herb( good for digestion and liver health)
• Antibacterial
• Antifungal( can help eliminate candida)
• Antiviral
• Contains vitamins and essential minerals( has vitamin K -so be careful if you are on blood thinners)
• Anti-parasitic
• Very mild sedative properties( can be have calming effects)
• A gentle diuretic ( she will flush out excess fluids but will not take all of your nutrients as she does so.)
• Can help fight addiction ( chemical compounds in this plant work to alleviate the “wanting more” part of addiction) 

Working with Chicory to improve or maintain your physical well being can also benefit us spiritually, as she carries with her her own beautiful essence. Chicory imbues us with strong determination, perseverance and feelings of being worthy. This isn’t surprising, as she is found frequently on roadsides and at the edges of parking lots and is mostly overlooked. When working with Chicory you may find that you have increased intuition, as she helps to heal your gut, she presents the opportunity for us to follow our “ gut feelings”. She will simultaneously help to ground us and leave us feeling more in the present. The flowers of Chicory have their own set of spiritual benefits such as unconditional self love, but the roots give us a great start towards that journey. 


Harvesting Roots and Seeds
The Roots of the Chicory plant can go very deep into the ground, these are called taproots. Taproots go so deep so that they protect the plant from drought, and to seek out the nutrients in our soil. This also means that it’s not easy to harvest, if you want to get a nice big piece of Chicory root. I wanted to be able to have my Chicory come back next year, so I did not dig too deeply or take too much of the root. With any kind of harvesting, it’s always better to take one -third or less of what you’re harvesting so that you can ensure that the plant can return in the spring to support our pollinators and to offer their gifts to us once again. 

(Chicory is to the right and Dandelion is to the left)

I also harvested some Dandelion, which has a taproot as well, so that I could create a wonderful coffee alternative that would be loaded with the benefits of these two plant wonders. A recipe for making this delicious brew is to follow, but first let’s talk about seed collecting.
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Just like we want to harvest roots for medicine in the fall, the time to collect seeds to plant in the spring is also upon us. It is best to wait until the chosen plant is pretty dried up so that the seeds are dry and won't grow mold over the winter. Since I had been out by the Chicory, I had noticed that there were quite a few brown stiff stalks that were perfectly ready for harvesting seeds. The seeds of plants are found either in the dried up flower or seed pod, in fruiting plants you’d find them in the fruit ( or vegetable). You can take the whole brown and dried up flower head or pod off and collect the seeds from them or you can harvest by pulling the seeds straight out of the flower or pod. I prefer to snip the flowers and pods off and collect them in a place where I won’t lose too many, so I do it inside over a paper towel. As with any other type of harvest, you also don’t want to take all of the seeds. Leave some so that they can fall naturally into the earth and grow in the place that their life began. It’s amazing to consider that within each seed is the DNA for a whole new life!! Storing seeds is best done in an envelope, storing in plastic bags may cause the seeds to grow mold. ( air is essential to life-let the seeds breath!!) Store your harvest in a cool, dry place and mark your envelopes, so that in the spring you can plant accordingly.

Chicory seed collecting

Chicelion Brew

Try this amazing roasted chicory and dandelion root coffee substitute- recipe below!

This post was written by Debra Romano, an apprentice at Herbs Love And Yoga.