The courgette harvest is in full swing. How to tell if a courgette is ripe or overripe

If we take a look at the vegetable patch, we’ll see that the courgettes are growing at a literally rocket-like pace. We’ve planted both green and yellow ones. Both are producing plenty of flowers and fruit. Some are smaller, others are rotting, and some are just right for harvesting. We’ve even let one of the courgettes grow too big. Many people ask when such courgettes need to be harvested. It depends a great deal on what we’re going to use them for. Nevertheless, there is a sort of universal size for courgettes that’s worth harvesting. So let’s take a look at that.

What is the ideal size for harvesting courgettes?

Roughly around 20 cm in length. But of course, this is only a rough estimate. The courgette should be relatively soft and still have some of the flower attached. Small courgettes, where the flower wilts very quickly, subsequently become hard and are certainly not ideal for use in the kitchen. When the flowers wilt this quickly, the courgettes in question are also characterised by a darker colour. The green ones are dark green and the yellow ones are very dark yellow. If you press them lightly with your finger, you won’t leave a dent. They’re simply hard. You can still use them, but softer ones are better.

Photo: Pixabay

Some simply stop growing

That’s right. You’ll find courgettes that are tiny, without a flower, but which stop growing. Either the conditions aren’t right and the plant’s energy is being channelled into other fruits, or they haven’t been pollinated properly. Alternatively, they may also have been attacked by slugs, often in such a subtle way that it’s not even properly visible to the naked eye. Some courgettes also start to turn yellow at the tip, so don’t pick those either.

Even overgrown courgettes can be used without any problems

That’s right. You just need to bear in mind that there are seeds inside which are not edible. In small courgettes, the seeds haven’t developed yet; in larger ones, they’re already quite large and hard, much like in cucumbers. Large courgettes are excellent for grating into a savoury courgette tart.

Sources: Author-grower

Photo: Pixabay