"The many goodies of the Arizona Mesquite Tree"

You can harvest Mesquite beans for many uses, but you have to know when and how to do it. When they are harvested at the right time, the beans are very sweet and add great flavor to food and drinks. They are also really easy to harvest because you do not have to actually "pick" them.

The beans that are harvested in late Spring and early summer are still green. They are not quite as sweet at that time. The greener pods can be used in summer drinks and they can be boiled to make molasses or syrup.

Harvest them in the late Summer or in the Fall. They are sweeter at that time and can be used for many more things, such as making meal or flour. The peas inside the pods are so sweet that they can also be boiled and rolled up into a ball and used as candy.

Mesquite beans ready for harvest when they are turning yellow or brown in color. When they are ready, you will also be able to shake the pod and hear the peas inside rattle.
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