Vegetable Gardening - Handbook for Beginners
Chapter 4.1.

Harvesting time is based on personal preferences. “Gourmet” or “baby” vegetables are merely vegetables harvested when they’re small. Blossoms (e.g., squash blossoms) can be harvested for use in salads or other recipes. 

Harvest vegetables as early in the day as possible, especially if they are not to be eaten that day or will be refrigerated. As soon as the sun hits the vegetables, the pulp temperature begins to rise. For every 5-degree decrease in pulp temperature when picked, a vegetable's shelf life will increase by 3 more days. Tomatoes, in particular, develop chilling injury (mushy texture and loss of flavor) when they are cooled after being harvested when warm; this is why they should not be refrigerated. 

Lettuce and leafy vegetables can be harvested a few outside leaves at a time, leaving the center of the plant to continue to grow for additional harvest every week or so. 

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Keep vegetables picked often. Vegetables that aren’t harvested soon enough will produce a chemical that inhibits further blossoming. Check plants at least every other day during the summer.

Harvest only what will be eaten in the next day or two. Removing mature vegetables from the plant encourages the plant to set additional blossoms and bear more vegetables. If you have kept plants well-picked, but fruit set has stopped, suspect hot weather. Fruit set will begin again about 10-14 days after the temperature stays below 85-90 degrees.

Toward the end of the summer, pinch off the last blossoms of eggplants, peppers, melons, squashes, and tomatoes. This will redirect plant energy to maturing vegetables that have already set instead of setting more fruit that won’t ripen before the fall cold weather.

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