Have you ever entered your garden to find a zucchini that went from a petite vegetable to a 2-foot-long giant that could outweigh a small child? If so, you are not alone! Although you might be able to have bragging rights for the largest produce at a county fair, the eating experience is less than desirable. Produce like summer squash and zucchini are best when harvested at about 6 to 8 inches long.
Some people like fried green tomatoes early in the summer. But what if you want your tomatoes to be ripe when you harvest? Tomatoes are the most flavorful if allowed to ripen on the vine; however, if a tomato is picked prior to being fully ripe, it will finish ripening on your kitchen counter.
The type of pepper you grow will determine the stage at which they are harvested. Jalapeños should be harvested when they are green, and Hungarian wax peppers should be yellow when picked. There are more options for sweet peppers, as they can be harvested when green or allowed to ripen to yellow, orange or red. Sweet peppers that are allowed to ripen will have a sweeter flavor than when green.
Green beans are another garden staple for West Virginia gardeners. Harvesting will be dependent on variety and usage. Filet beans are harvested with little bean development, while snap beans are allowed to have some bean development. For these, it is up to you on the size you allow the beans to grow to. Dry beans are best harvested when the pods are tough, thin and separate easily.
Cabbage should be harvested when heads are full and firm. If you’re growing broccoli, harvest when the florets are deep green and before they start to turn yellow and open. You can get extra broccoli harvests with side shoots.
By Jennifer Friend, WVU Extension Agent – Harrison County