Snap beans are so easy to grow, and can offer such a bountiful harvest in a limited amount of space. They deserve a spot in every garden, because besides being bountiful, they are beautiful, too.
Harvesting snap beans is pretty simple, but there are a few tips to keep in mind:
- Harvest beans when they are not quite full size yet. The seeds inside the pod should still be immature. Overly mature stems have a woody, fibrous texture that is definitely not what you're looking for in a garden-fresh bean. They should be thin, and smooth, and you shouldn't be able to discern any "bumps" from the beans forming inside the pods.
- Harvesting is easy, but requires a bit of attention. Bean stalks are very brittle, and if you just try to pull the beans off of the stalk, you'll end up breaking off a large part of the plant. The best way to harvest beans is to pinch individual beans off of the stalk (not grabbing several at a time and pulling!) or by snipping each bean off with pruners or scissors.
