Harvesting Your Vegetables
One of the most common mistakes made by beginning vegetable gardeners is harvesting the crop at the wrong time. Since ripeness varies according to planting time, the weather in any given year, the variety of the particular vegetable planted, and many other things, one can’t just say, “Harvest this vegetable on August 20th.” So we’ve gotten together a general guide for harvesting many commonly-grown vegetables.
We thought of restricting it to vegetables that grow easily here, or to summer harvest only–but greenhouse-growing is becoming more popular so we decided to do the long list.
Asparagus: Begin harvesting when spears are 6-10 inches tall and before heads open. Snap them off at ground level; new spears will continue to grow. Stop when the average spear diameter is less than 1/4 inch.
Beans (snap): Pick before you can see the seeds bulging. They should snap easily into two. Check daily, as they will get tough quickly.
Beans (lima): Pick when well filled, but not over-mature.
Beets: You can harvest and eat the green tops that you thin out of the rows. Beets are somewhat a matter of preference when it comes to the right size–most prefer a diameter of 1.5 to 2 inches–but they are ready any time after the shoulders come above the soil line.
Broccoli: We eat the unopened flower buds of broccoli, so check often as weather warms, and get them before they bloom (don’t expect your heads to get to supermarket size). Harvest when the buds are about the size of a match head. Remove with a sharp knife; leave between 4 and 6 inches of stem.
Brussels Sprouts: Harvest when they are green, plump and firm (usually an inch or more in diameter). Harvest by twisting off or cutting the sprout from the stem.
Cabbage: Harvest cabbage when the head is firm and has reached adequate size, depending on the variety and growing conditions.
Cantaloupe (muskmelon): The color should change to beige and the fruit will “slip” from the stem easily. You may be able to notice a sweet smell when ripe.
Carrots: Depending on variety, pull when about 3/4 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter. The top of the carrot will show at the soil line; you can gauge when the diameter looks right for your variety. If the diameter looks good, chances are the length is fine too.
Cauliflower: As with broccoli, your cauliflower heads will probably not get to supermarket size. Harvest when the head looks full and while the curds of the head are still smooth.
Chard (Swiss): Harvest as leaves become large enough.
Collards (kale and mustard): Harvest young plants or lower leaves on older plants. Leaves should be young and tender. Taste improves with cool weather.
Corn: Pick after the silks become brown. The kernels should exude a milky substance when pricked.
Cucumber: Check daily and harvest early (if harvesting for pickling, even earlier). Timing and length will vary with variety. The fruits should be firm and smooth. Over-ripe cucumbers can be very bitter or pithy, even before they start to turn yellow.
Eggplant: Slightly immature fruits taste best. The fruits should be firm and shiny. Cut rather than pull from the plant.
Garlic: The garlic tops will fall over and begin to brown when the bulbs are ready. Dig gently, don’t pull, and allow to dry before storing. Shake off dirt rather than washing.