5 Harvesting and Storage

5.1 Microbial Food Safety

Attention to the microbial food safety of vegetable crops that are eaten raw is important to both produce growers and consumers. Microbial food safety risks can be found on every farm and can be managed as long as growers are aware of the risks. See complete discussion in the Food Safety and Postharvest Handling chapter.

5.2 Harvest

Do not harvest asparagus the year of planting. Asparagus can be harvested the second year after planting crowns, or third year after planting transplants. A traditional harvest sequence calls for cutting two weeks the first year of harvest, four weeks the second, and six to eight weeks thereafter. These are general guidelines, and the length of the harvest period should be adjusted according to the spear size. When spears are predominantly small in diameter, harvest should be stopped. Fresh-market asparagus is cut or snapped by hand when the spears are about ten inches tall. In warm weather, fields should be harvested daily. Damaged or thin shoots should be cut and discarded. After harvesting, spears should be washed, cooled, trimmed to a uniform length, and graded by diameter.

5.3 Storage

Spears can be stored for up to three weeks at 36°F and 95 percent relative humidity. Keep the cut end of the stalks in potable water to prevent them from drying out.