When to Pick Vegetables in the Morning

Why Morning?

• Harvesting vegetables in the cool of the morning when they are fresh and crisp retains nutrients and flavor, as long as they are handled properly and stored under the appropriate conditions. Because vegetables continue to mature, even after being picked, they must be chilled to preserve their flavor and nutrients. Chill mature vegetables to slow the process. Immature fruit, such as green tomatoes, should be stored at room temperature.

Baby Vegetables

• Baby vegetables, such as slender green beans, tiny summer squash or young cucumbers are crisp and tender. Harvesting them in the morning when they are juicy and crisp avoids the effects of the summer sun. As the day progresses and the air warms, plants lose water to evaporation and respiration, resulting in limp vegetables that lack their characteristic crispness. With the exception of beans, these vegetables can be harvested in early morning before the dew dries. Beans, however, should not be handled until they are dry, as handling wet beans may spread bacterial blight.

Maturity

• The proper time for harvesting vegetables depends on their maturity and whether you prefer immature or mature vegetables. Some prefer harvesting baby vegetables when they are small and tender, while others prefer mature vegetables. However, once many vegetables, such as beans and summer squash, reach maturity they can "go by" quickly losing their characteristic flavor and appearance. For best results harvest them in the early morning as soon as they reach maturity.

Exceptions

• Peas and corn lose flavor quickly once harvested. The sugars in peas and corn convert to starch quickly. Picking them in early morning for that's day's use prevents some of the loss, but for the best flavor, harvest them immediately before cooking.