Harvest & storage
Pick peas and beans at the right stage
Check the crop: snow peas are picked flat, shelling peas when peas fill the pod, and green beans while pods are tender before seeds bulge strongly.
When to do it
As pods reach the edible stage for the named crop.
What you need
- Clean container
- Scissors if stems resist
How to do it
- Check the crop: snow peas are picked flat, shelling peas when peas fill the pod, and green beans while pods are tender before seeds bulge strongly.
- Hold the stem with one hand and detach the pod with the other, or snip it. Do not pull the whole vine.
- Check frequently because pods can pass their best stage quickly. Pick regularly if continued fresh production is the aim.
- Keep the harvest cool and use promptly. Dry-bean harvesting is a different endpoint; follow the crop’s preparation and cooking requirements.
What success looks like
- Pods are tender and vines remain attached to their supports.
Watch out for
- Treating every pea pod as edible.
- Eating raw beans simply because they were home-grown.
Plant guides using this technique
Peas
Cool-season pods for shelling or eating whole.
Snow peas
Snow peas with practical five-zone Australian timing.
Beans (bush/French)
Compact plants with tender green pods.
Climbing beans
Climbing beans with practical five-zone Australian timing.
Broad beans
Broad beans with practical five-zone Australian timing.
Related help
Choose supports for peas, beans and other climbers
Identify the growth habit.
Handle and store a fresh garden harvest
Use clean hands and containers; keep produce away from soil, animals and garden chemicals.
Sources and review
Checked 24 September 2026. Source-checked editorial guidance; not field-tested or independently reviewed by a horticulturist.