How Do You Harvest Pinto Beans

You harvest pinto beans when the pods have dried out and turned a tan or brownish color.
 
If you’ve been wondering how do you harvest pinto beans, the answer really comes down to timing and a little patience.
 
Pinto beans are one of those crops that reward you for waiting until the very end of the season.
 
And the good news is that learning how to harvest pinto beans isn’t complicated at all.
 
In this post, we’ll walk through exactly how to harvest pinto beans, when to harvest pinto beans, and how to store pinto beans so they last for months.
 

How Do You Harvest Pinto Beans?

You harvest pinto beans by letting the pods dry on the plant, then pulling or cutting the plants and shelling the beans once everything is dry.
 
Here’s how the whole process breaks down step by step.
 

1. Wait for the Pods to Dry

The first rule of how to harvest pinto beans is patience.
 
Pinto beans are a dry bean, which means you don’t pick them while the pods are green and tender.
 
You wait until the pods turn tan, brown, or a faded yellow color and feel papery to the touch.
 
If you can hear the beans rattle inside the pod when you shake it, that’s your green light.
 

2. Check the Beans Inside

Before you harvest pinto beans, pop open a pod and take a look.
 
The beans should be fully colored with the classic pinto speckles and feel hard, not soft or squishy.
 
If the beans still look pale or feel moist, give them more time on the plant.
 

3. Pull or Cut the Plants

Once the pods are dry, you can harvest pinto beans by pulling the entire plant out of the ground.
 
You can also cut the plants at the base if pulling feels too rough on your soil.
 
Either way, don’t just pick individual pods because the whole plant is usually ready around the same time.
 

4. Let Them Cure Before Shelling

After you harvest pinto beans, don’t rush to shell them right away.
 
Lay the plants out in a dry, airy spot like a garage, porch, or shed for about one to two weeks.
 
This curing step finishes drying the beans so they store better and don’t mold later.
 

When to Harvest Pinto Beans

Knowing when to harvest pinto beans matters just as much as knowing how.
 
Here’s what to watch for so you get the timing right.
 

1. Watch the Calendar

Pinto beans usually take around 90 to 150 days to mature, depending on the variety.
 
Most gardeners harvest pinto beans in late summer or early fall.
 
If you planted in late spring, expect to harvest pinto beans somewhere around late August through October.
 

2. Watch the Weather

Rain is the enemy when it’s time to harvest pinto beans.
 
If a wet forecast is coming and your pods are nearly dry, go ahead and pull the plants early and finish drying them indoors.
 
Too much moisture can cause the beans to rot or sprout inside the pod.
 

3. Watch for Yellowing Leaves

As the season wraps up, the leaves on your pinto bean plants will turn yellow and drop off.
 
That’s a natural sign the plant is putting its energy into finishing the seeds.
 
When the foliage dies back and the pods dry, it’s time to harvest pinto beans.
 

How to Shell and Store Pinto Beans

Once your plants are cured, the next step is getting the beans out of the pods and into storage.
 

1. Shell the Pods

To shell pinto beans, simply rub the pods between your hands or twist them until they crack open.
 
The beans will fall right out, and you can toss the empty pods into your compost.
 
If you harvest pinto beans in large amounts, this part takes a while, so grab a friend and make it fun.
 

2. Clean the Beans

After shelling, pick through the beans and remove any that are shriveled, discolored, or damaged.
 
A quick winnowing or gentle blow removes bits of dried pod and dust.
 

3. Store Them Properly

Store your dried pinto beans in airtight jars or containers in a cool, dark, dry place.
 
When you harvest pinto beans and store them correctly, they’ll keep for a year or even longer.
 
You can also freeze them for a few days first to kill any hidden bean weevil eggs.
 

So, How Do You Harvest Pinto Beans?

You harvest pinto beans by letting the pods dry on the plant, pulling the plants once the beans rattle inside, curing them for a week or two, and then shelling and storing the dried beans.
 
The key is timing, since harvesting pinto beans too early gives you soft, bland beans that don’t store well.
 
Wait for dry, papery pods and hard, speckled beans, and you’ll end up with a harvest worth bragging about.
 
Now that you know how to harvest pinto beans, you can grow them year after year and never buy a bag from the store again.