When to Harvest Vegetables

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When to Harvest Vegetables

Prepared by Willie O. Chance III and Darbie Granberry, Extension Horticulturists

Physiological processes occur in vegetables that permanently change their taste, appearance and quality if they are not harvested at the proper stage of maturity. Texture, fiber and consistency are greatly affected by stage of maturity. The stage of maturity at harvest, post-harvest handling, and the time interval between harvesting and serving affect the quality of all vegetables. Some vegetables are more highly perishable than others. Sweet corn and English peas are very difficult to maintain in an acceptable fresh state for even a very short time, while other vegetables may have a much longer shelf life.

Even after harvest, respiration and other life processes continue, and in most cases a slowing of these processes will increase the shelf life of the vegetable. Lowering the internal temperature helps to slow these processes. This is one reason for harvesting vegetables early in the day before the heat from the sun has warmed them. After harvest, most vegetables should be kept cool and out of direct sunlight until processed or consumed.

The following table gives suggestions to aid in determining the proper stage of maturity for harvesting many vegetables. Harvesting too soon may result in only a reduction in yield. However, harvesting too late can result in poor quality due to development of objectionable fiber and the conversion of sugars into starches.

Vegetable	Part Eaten	Too Early	Optimum	Too Late
Artichoke, Globe	Immature bloom	Flower buds small	When buds are 2" to 4" in diameter	Buds large with scales or bracts loose
Asparagus	Stem	Insufficient length	6" to 8" long; no fiber	Excess woody fiber in stem
Beans, Lima	Seed	Insufficient bean size	Bright green pod; seed good size	Pods turned yellow
Beans, Pole Green	Pod and seed	Insufficient size	Bean cavity full; seed ¼ grown	Seed large; pods fibrous
Beans, Snap Bush	Pod and seed	Insufficient size	Pods turgid; seeds just visible	Pods fibrous; seed large
Beets	Root and leaves	Insufficient size	Roots 2" to 3" in diameter	Roots pithy; strong taste
Broccoli	Immature bloom	Insufficient size	Bright green color; bloom still tightly closed	Head loose; some blooms beginning to show
Brussels Sprouts	Head	Insufficient size; hard to harvest	Bright green; tight head	Head loose; color change to green yellow
Cabbage	Head	Insufficient leaf cover	Heads firm; leaf tight	Leaf loose; heads cracked open
Cantaloupes	Fruit	Stem does not want to separate from fruit	Stem easily breaks away clean when pulled	Background color of melon is yellow; rind soft
Carrots	Root	Insufficient size	½" to ¾" at shoulder	Strong taste; oversweet
Cauliflower	Immature bloom	Head not developed	Head compact; fairly smooth	Curds open; separate
Celery	Stems	Stem too small	Plant 12" to 15" tall; stem medium thick	Seed stalk formed; bitterness
Collards	Leaf	Insufficient leaf size	Bright green color; small midrib	Midrib large; fibrous
Corn, Sweet	Grain	Grain watery; small	Grain plump; liquid in milk stage	Grain starting to dent; liquid in dough stage
Cucumber	Fruit	Insufficient size	Skin dark green; seeds soft	Skin beginning to yellow; seeds hard
Eggplant	Fruit	Insufficient size	High glossy skin; side springs back when mashed	Seeds brown; side will not spring back when mashed
Lettuce, Head	Leaves	Head not fully formed	Fairly firm; good size	Heads very hard
Okra	Pod	Insufficient size	2" to 3" long; still tender	Fiber development; pods tough
Onions, Dry	Bulb	Tops all green	Tops yellow; ¾ fallen over	All tops down; bulb rot started
Peas, English	Seed	Peas immature and too small to shell	Peas small to medium; sweet bright green	Pods yellow; peas large
Peas, Southern (green)	Seed and pod	Peas immature and too small to shell	Seeds fully developed but still soft; pods soft	Seeds hard; pods dry
Pepper, Pimiento	Pod	Insufficient size	Bright red and firm	Pod shriveled
Pepper, Red Bell	Pod	Pods a chocolate color	Bright red and firm	Pod shriveled
Potato, Irish	Tuber	Insufficient size	When tops begin to die back	Damaged by freezing weather
Potato, Sweet	Root	Size small; immature	Most roots 2" to 3" in diameter	Early plantings get too large and crack; damaged by low soil temperature below 50°F
Rhubarb	Stem	Size small; immature	Stem 8" to 15" long best	Fleshy stem becomes fibrous
Soybeans	Seed	Seeds not developed	Pods thick; bright green	Pods dry; seed shatters out
Squash, Summer	Fruit	Insufficient size	Rind can be penetrated by thumbnail	Penetration by thumbnail difficult; seed large
Squash, Winter	Fruit	Rind soft	Rind difficult to penetrate by thumbnail	Damaged by frost
Tomatoes	Fruit	May be harvested in three stages: Mature green – tomato firm, mature, color change from green to light green, no pink color showing on blossom end. These tomatoes will store one to two weeks in refrigerator. Pink – pink color on blossom end about the size of a dime. These tomatoes, at room temperature, will ripen in about three days. Ripe – tomato full red but still firm. Should be used immediately.
Watermelon	Fruit	Flesh green; stem green and difficult to separate	Melon surface next to ground turns from light straw color to a richer yellow		Top surface has dull look

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.

An Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Organization Committed to a Diverse Work Force

Horticulture 3
Leaflet 291 , Reprinted May 1999

Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, The University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.

Gale A. Buchanan, Dean and Director

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