Dock Coffee Part 3

FAIL!!! Unfortunately, this experiment was a big old fail. The initial taste of the drink was bitter, somewhat akin to coffee. Not exact, but for me, close enough. The problem was the aftertaste. I'm not sure how to explain it, other than slightly woody.  I guess, more than slightly. It was more-or-less unbearable, to the point I dumped it out.

I've not completely given up though... I think my problem was two fold. Firstly, I think the season was wrong. Perhaps if I had held my patience and harvested the roots near winter time they might have had a better flavor. I'm also wondering what might happen if I peeled the roots before drying them. The aftertaste had that woody, bark flavor and I'm wondering if it didn't come from that. Just have to wait until it gets a bit cooler and we'll do it all over again.

Dock Coffee Part 2

After three or four days of drying in the closet, the dock roots were dry, and it was time for roasting. According to Thayer, although he's just assuming, you proceed making the dock coffee much in the same way you would dandelion and chicory. He recommends roasting the roots anywhere from 15-60 minutes at 325 Fahrenheit. I gave my roots a fairly decent bake at 45 minutes. They're a nice brown color and are pretty bitter, but not unpalatable when I chew on them. I'm getting a grain grinder tomorrow so I can grind up the roots and cook them for my first cup of dock coffee... You can see in the picture below they are a nice medium brown color, a little lighter than the outside of the roots.

Dock Coffee Part 1

Getting into this foraging thing, I went to the library and picked up Samuel Thayer's Nature's Garden and have been doing a bit of reading - and of course, getting excited and jumping the gun. One of the more easily identified and readily available plants right now - at least for me - is a plant called Dock. Apparently it has many uses. It seems like I've missed the season for the edible greens and it's too early for the seeds - not to mention the seeds don't sound like they're all that worth it to me. Another one of the parts of Dock that can be used are the roots. Thayer claims they're too bitter to eat and use as a vegetable. I gnawed on one and that was enough for me - at least for now. The roots weren't quite as bitter as a big 'ole dandelion leaf, but still a little more bitter than I'd like. All the same, the roots can be dried, roasted, ground and used as a coffee substitute.

Being impatient with the seasons and wanting to try everything, I decided to give the Dock Coffee a whirl. The late-spring early summer isn't the best for the roots as the energy in the plant is going towards the flowers and seeds, but I couldn't help myself.

I dug up a bigger plant and cut the roots from the plant. I rinsed the outside of the roots and then split the roots in halves or quarters lengthwise, depending on how thick the root was. After leaving them on the deck in the sun for the rest of the day, I strung them on a string with a needle and thread and hung it in the closet to dry. Now we wait a few days while the roots dry so we can begin the roasting process.