More people are growing their own food this year, many for the first time. When I started gardening, I found it helpful to start small and start with food that is easy to grow and is liked by everyone in the household. Green beans fit under those requirements quite readily. The pole beans are blossoming, but when is the best time to harvest them? I asked local urban farmer Kelly Wood, of Amaranth Produce, and she shared lots of tips with me in this short video‚ what size to look for, what part of the plant the beans are likely to ripen first, how often you should harvest beans and why, and don’t forget to plan for next year’s beans too!

If you’re finding you have too many beans, consider canning them. You might like to try Dilly Beans from Marissa McClellan’s canning blog, Food in Jars.