Roasted Dandelion Root

Here is a pic of a nice big fat dandelion root just perfect for roasting. Roasted dandelion root is often called a coffee substitute but I don't think many hard core coffee drinkers like myself would agree with that. I do however think it makes a good additive and flavoring to real coffee. I think it gives a flavor very similar to New Orleans style chicory coffee. To me, it seems to make the coffee very smooth,and slightly nutty flavored. Since it grows almost every where and is easy to process I think it is a good plant to add to my wild food store house. I would be very careful about where you gathered your dandelion root, avoid any area that has might have been sprayed with herbicides,etc.
 I roast the roots as soon as possible after gathering them. If they are left to start drying out much of the sugar in the roots will be converted to starches. Roasting immediately will caramelize those sugars resulting in a much richer, fuller taste. Chop the root into pieces small enough to fit into your coffee grinder while the root is raw. It will be as tough as wood when it is dry but very brittle. It should be roasted until it is  quite dark, almost black. It will powder in your coffee grinder rather than being in little crumbles. We substitute one tablespoon of the powdered root for one tablespoon of the coffee. This is with a regular percolator so you may need to experiment with other types of coffee making.