Fresh beans are always tasty. If you grow bush beans like “Saxa”, “Speedy” and “Pfälzer Juni”, you only have to wait six weeks until the first harvest. But the other bush bean varieties are also ready to harvest after about 10 weeks. If you start harvesting early and pick again and again, you can harvest over several weeks.
How do you harvest French beans correctly?
To harvest bush beans correctly, the pods should still be tender and the seeds should not be visible through the pod. Pick carefully with your fingers without damaging the shoots and harvest regularly to maximize yield. Avoid harvesting in wet conditions.
Harvest time for bush beans
The harvest time for bush beans begins in June, depending on the variety. Since bush beans can be sown until July, the harvest extends until October.
Harvesting fresh vegetable beans
The most tender beans are those whose pods and grains are not yet fully ripe. The seeds should not yet be visible through the pod. Beans are picked carefully with your fingers. After two to three days you can harvest the growing pods again.
The bush beans are ripe
If you are not sure whether the bush beans are ripe, the following trick will help:
- Bend the sleeve carefully with your fingers
- if it breaks through smoothly, it is ripe
Harvesting dry beans
The bush beans also include dry beans such as the varieties “Canadian Wonder” and “Borlotto”. They remain on the plant until they are fully ripe. To dry, spread them out next to each other in a dry place where they can continue to ripen for at least two weeks.
Harvest tips
- pick carefully so that bearing shoots are not injured
- regular picking increases the yield
- do not harvest when wet to avoid the spread of disease
- Easy to pick are beans hanging above the leaves like “Golden Teepee”
Use beans
Freshly harvested beans taste best when prepared within a few days. They are stored in the refrigerator. The pods can be made to last longer by boiling and freezing.
Fresh beans are suitable for soups, salads and vegetable dishes. It is important to cook them, as raw French beans are poisonous.
Tips & Tricks
By growing robust bush bean varieties, you can achieve reliable yields even in unfavorable weather conditions. These include the varieties “St. Andreas",
