When to Harvest Broccoli for the Best Flavor, According to Farmers

Broccoli is a garden staple. It's relatively easy to grow, tastes terrific, packs a nutritional punch, and grows well during the cool seasons. However, it's important to know when to harvest broccoli, as doing so too early or too late can negatively impact this vegetable's delicious flavor.

Here, we spoke to experts about the best time to harvest broccoli—plus, some overall tips for harvesting success.

When to Harvest

If you harvest your broccoli too early, you may find that it's a bit chewy and dense, and the overall flavor may take a hit. You're also robbing yourself of the broccoli's potential size!

Take note of your planting date and the days to maturity information on your seed packet. Start checking your broccoli plants for suitable heads about a week before this date, and keep watching, since the heads grow rapidly. When exactly this occurs will depend on the variety you planted—some sprint to the finish line in less than two months, while others take closer to three. 

"The harvest window for broccoli is much longer when grown in the fall," says Travis Key, founder of Lazy Dog Farm. "Broccoli grown in the warmer months can quickly form little yellow flowers on the beads of the broccoli head, making it undesirable to eat."

He recommends harvesting the heads as soon as they reach an acceptable size. "Max size can vary some depending on variety and growing conditions, but a broccoli head with a 6 to 8 inch diameter is considered very acceptable in a backyard garden."

Signs It's Ready to Harvest

Keep an eye on those heads, and be ready to harvest when they reach the appropriate size for the variety, which is typically between 4 and 8 inches in diameter.

"You’ll know broccoli is ready to harvest when the heads are tight, firm, and a nice deep green," says gardening instructor Meg Austin. However, make sure to harvest before there are any signs of bolting.

"The biggest mistake people make when harvesting broccoli is waiting too long," she says. "Once those little buds start to loosen or show yellow, it’s already starting to flower—and the flavor gets bitter."

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How to Harvest

Harvesting the broccoli couldn't be simpler. "Use a sharp knife to cut the main stem of the broccoli head right below any branching," says Key. He also cautions that you shouldn't pull or remove your broccoli plants after harvesting the main head.

"If you leave the broccoli plants in your garden and continue to water them, they will make side shoot heads that can also be harvested," he says. "These won't be as large as the main head, but are a great snack and reward after the main broccoli head harvest."

After you cut your broccoli, Austin suggests giving it a quick soak in cool water to get any bugs or dirt off. Then, set it on a towel to dry on the counter.

How to Store

Broccoli is easy to store. If you aren't eating it immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator.

"Store it in an unsealed plastic bag to help hold the moisture, without trapping too much humidity," says Austin. "It’ll usually keep well for about a week that way."

But what if you've harvested more broccoli than you can use within a few days? "If you’ve got a big harvest, blanch and freeze it to use later—it holds up great in soups, casseroles, or just roasted straight from the freezer," she says.