Because of their growth habit, some varieties of beans cannot be harvested mechanically. The quality and hence the market value of in-shell beans depends on the timeliness of harvest, the level of maturity of the pods, and the care in handling.

Postharvest quality control begins in the field. Clean hands and sanitary personal habits are required of workers at all times when handling food products like beans and peas. Therefore, careful supervision and proper instruction of the harvesting crew are essential to the success of any hand harvesting operation. Careful supervision includes random checks of harvesting bags or pails for trash and poor-quality beans. Packing house problems and buyer complaints often result from a poorly instructed and supervised harvesting crew.

Beans should be removed from the plants cleanly without tearing them or causing undue damage to the pods or plants. Overhandling or rough handling of the pods will result in both visible and latent damage. In addition, harvested pods should never be packed tightly into harvesting containers or allowed to remain in the sun for extended periods.