Nutrition, freshness, and flavor depend on both vegetable maturity and the time of day that you harvest. Ideally, harvest during the cool part of the morning and process vegetables immediately. If processing must be delayed, cool the vegetables in ice water or crushed ice and refrigerate them to preserve flavor and quality.

asparagus

Harvest the spears when they are at least 6–8″ tall by snapping or cutting them at ground level. A few spears may be harvested the second year after crowns are set out. A full harvest season will last 4–6 weeks during the third growing season.

beans, snap

Start harvesting before seeds develop in the pod. Beans are ready to pick if they snap easily when bent in half.

beans, lima

Harvest when the pods first start to bulge with the enlarged seeds. Pods must still be green, not yellowish.

broccoli

Harvest the dark green, compact cluster or head while the buds are shut tight, before any yellow flowers appear. Small side shoots will develop later, providing a continuous harvest.

brussels sprouts

Harvest the lower sprouts (small heads) when they are about 1–1.5″ in diameter by twisting them off. Lower leaves along the stem may be removed to hasten maturity.

cabbage

Harvest when the heads feel hard and solid.

canteloupe

Harvest when the stem slips easily from the fruit with a gentle tug. Another indicator of ripeness is when the netting on skin becomes rounded and the flesh between the netting turns from a green to a tan color.

carrots

Harvest when the roots are 0.75–1″ in diameter. The largest roots generally have the darkest tops.

cauliflower

Exclude sunlight (blanch) when the curds are 1–2″ in diameter by loosely tying together the outer leaves above the curd with a string or rubber band. Harvest the curds (heads) when they are 4–6 inches in diameter but still compact, white, and smooth. The head should be ready 10 to 15 days after tying.

collards

Harvest older leaves when they reach a length of 8–12″. New leaves will grow as long as the central growing point remains, providing a continuous harvest. Whole plants may be harvested and cooked if desired.

corn

Silks begin to turn brown and dry out as the ears mature. Check a few ears for maturity by opening the top of the ear and pressing a few kernels with a thumbnail. If the liquid exuded is milky rather than clear, the ear is ready for harvest. Cooking a few ears is a good way to test for maturity.

cucumbers

Harvest when the fruits are deep green, before yellow color appears. The length should be 2–3″ for sweet pickles, 5–6″ for dills, and 6–8″ for slicing. Pick 4–5 times per week to encourage continuous production. Mature cucumbers left on the vine will stop production of the entire plant.

eggplant

Harvest when the fruits are 4–5″ in diameter and their color is a glossy purplish black. (A white variation is also available.) The fruit is getting too old when the color starts to dull or become bronzed. Because the stem is woody, cut rather than pull the fruit from the plant. A short stem should remain on each fruit.

garlic

Harvest once several of the lower leaves are brown but 5–6 of the top leaves are still green. Loosen the soil with a fork and gently lift the bulbs. Gently brush off the soil and immediately move to a spot out of direct sunlight and with good air circulation, such as a garage, porch or shed. Cure for two weeks by hanging upside down on a string. Make sure all sides get good air circulation.

kale

Twist off the outer, older leaves when they reach a length of 8–10″ and are medium green in color. Heavy, dark green leaves are overmature and are likely to be tough and bitter. New leaves will grow, providing a continuous harvest.

kohlrabi

Harvest when the thickened stems or bulb (the edible part) is 2–3″ in diameter by cutting off the plant just below the bulb. Stems become woody if left too long before harvest.

lettuce

Harvest the older, outer leaves from leaf lettuce as soon as they are 4–6″ long. Harvest heading types when the heads are moderately firm and before seed stalks form.

mustard

Harvest the leaves and leaf stems when they are 6–8″ long; new leaves will provide a continuous harvest until they become strong in flavor and tough in texture from temperature extremes.

okra

Harvest young, tender pods when they are 2–3″ long. Pick at least every other day during the peak growing season. Overmature pods become woody and are too tough to eat.

onions

Harvest when the tops fall over and begin to turn yellow. Dig the onions and allow them to dry out in the open sun for a few days to toughen the skin. Then remove the dried soil by brushing lightly. Cut the stem, leaving 2–3″ attached, and store in net-type bag in a cool, dry place.

peas

Harvest regular peas when the pods are well rounded; edible-podded varieties should be harvested when pods are well rounded but before seeds are more than one-half of their full size if the pods are to be eaten; harvest when seeds are fully developed but still fresh and bright green if pods are to be discarded. Pods are getting too old when they lose their brightness and turn light or yellowish green.

peppers

Harvest sweet peppers with a sharp knife when the fruits are firm, crisp, and full size. Green peppers will turn red if left on the plant. Allow hot peppers to attain their bright red color and full flavor while attached to the vine then cut them and hang them to dry.

potatoes, Irish

Harvest the tubers when the plants begin to dry and die down. Store the tubers in a cool, high-humidity location with good ventilation, such as the basement or crawl space to the house. Avoid exposing the tubers to light. Greening, which denotes the presence of dangerous alkaloids, will occur even with small amounts of light.

potatoes, sweet

Harvest the roots when they are large enough for use before frost. Avoid bruising or scratching during handling. (Damaged sweet potatoes rot easily in storage.) Ideal storage conditions are a temperature of 55°F and a relative humidity of 85%. The basement or crawl space of a house may suffice.

pumpkins

Harvest pumpkins and winter squash before frost and after the vines dry up, the fruit color darkens, and the skin surface resists puncture from your thumbnail. Avoid bruising or scratching the fruit while handling it. Leave a 3–4″ portion of stem attached to the fruit and store it in a cool, dry location with good ventilation.

radishes

Harvest when the roots are 0.5–1.5″ in diameter. The shoulders of radish roots often appear through the soil surface when they are mature. If left in the ground too long, they will become tough and woody.

rutabagas

Harvest when the roots are about 3″ in diameter. The roots may be stored in the ground and used as needed if properly mulched.

spinach

Harvest by cutting all the leaves off at the base of the plant when they are 4–6″ long. New leaves will grow, providing additional harvests.

squash, summer

Harvest when the fruit is soft, tender & 6–8″ long (3–4″ across for patty pans). The skin color often changes to a dark, glossy green or yellow, depending on variety. Pick every 2–3 days to encourage production.

squash, winter

See Pumpkins.

Swiss chard

Harvest by breaking off the developed outer leaves 1″ above the soil. New leaves will grow, providing a continuous harvest.

tomatoes

Harvest the fruits at the most appealing ripenesss stage — up to dead red ripe. (There are some yellow varieties of tomatoes.) Flavor is best at room temperature, but ripe fruit may be held at 45–50°F for 7–10 days.

turnips

Harvest the roots when they are 2–3″ in diameter but before heavy frosts occur in the fall. The tops may be used as greens when the leaves are 3–5″ long.

watermelons

Ripe watermelons produce a dull thud rather than a sharp, metalic sound when thumped. Other ripeness indicators are a deep yellow rather than white color when the melon touches the ground, brown tendrils on the stem near the fruit, and a rough, slightly rigid feel to the skin surface.