When and how should I harvest my zucchini?
Question:I am so excited that my plants are actually growing veggies this year. :)
How big should they be when I take them?
Should I pick them off, twist them or cut them off?
Any extra tips would be great.
Thanks
:)
Answers:
Use a sharp knife to havrvest them. If you twist them you may damage the vine. Harvest them when they are small, about a couple inches long, if you like them nice and tender. At that size you do not have to peel them. If you decide to let them grow a little larger, make sure and check them each morning and evening! I forgot about mine for a few days and wound up with some that were a foot and a half long and several inches in diameter! They are still good to eat, but you have to peel the hardened skin off and scrape out some of the seeds.
I pick my zucchini when they are about 8 inches long.perfect for slicing and julienne frying, grilling, pickling..but I do leave some to get larger for deserting and filling for zucchini boats..to pick I use a small sharp knife about 1 inch from the top of the zucchini and cut through...the larger ones will be more easily twisted off
lol. Usually the question with zucchini is how do I get rid of all the squash that I have.by the end of the season you will have thought of every recipe you can think of using zucchini!
Glad to hear that they are growing well and it sounds like you got the right advice by other people. Enjoy!!
As summer squash, you don't need to wait for the skin to harden. So, cut them off when they are large enough. But remember that the shorter, the sweeter they are
You can twist them off or use a knife to cut them off. If your
zucchini grows like mine does, don't worry about harming the vine, because you will get sick of zucchini before the growing season is over. Pick them when they are about 6 to 8 in. long
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