When and How to Harvest Carob?
Carob harvesting is a largely manual labor job that usually starts at the end of summer on the Mediterranean coast and lasts throughout autumn depending on the region. When the pods ripen on the tree and begin to dry, they are dropped from the branches with long poles and collected in nets or covers laid under the tree. Harvesting at the right time directly affects both the quality of the fruit and the next year's product.
In this article, we discuss the signs that indicate when carob is ready for harvest, the harvest period, traditional and mechanical harvesting methods, the points to be considered in harvesting, and the first steps after harvest, based on sources.
How Does Carob Fruit Ripen?
The fruit of carob is botanically a pod. Fruit development spans a long period of time: In the investor guide of the General Directorate of Forestry, it is stated that the fruits start to grow at the beginning of May, ripen in June-July, and turn from green to brown as they ripen (OGM, 2020). In the report prepared for the Western Mediterranean Development Agency, it is stated that a period of 5,000–6,000 hours above 9 °C is required for fruit ripening (Erbaş, 2024).
A remarkable feature of carob is that flowering and harvest coincide with the same season. Tous and Ferguson (1996), who evaluate Mediterranean fruits, state that carob flowers bloom on old wood between September and November and that the pods ripen at the end of summer, that is, close to the flowering period. This means that both ripe pods and inflorescences that will yield the next year's product can be found on the tree during harvest. This is exactly where the importance of the harvesting technique arises.
When to Harvest Carob?
Sources give the harvest period at intervals that are close to each other but differ according to the region:
| Source | Specified harvest period |
|---|---|
| Tous and Ferguson (1996) | End of summer |
| Erbaş (2024) | Usually late summer or early fall |
| OGM (2020) | It starts in September and can last until November-December depending on the region |
| Alanya Carob geographical indication (2025) | September-October |
In practice, the harvest usually intensifies between the end of August and September in the warm coastal parts of Turkey; in high areas, cool slopes and late-ripening trees, it may extend until October and beyond. It is always more reliable to look at the maturity of the fruits on the tree rather than a single calendar date. Even in the same garden, it is natural that trees in south-facing, warm places are ready earlier.
Signs of Ripeness: How to Recognize Ready-to-Harvest Pods
The prominent maturity criteria in the sources are as follows:
- Changing the color of pods from green to brown and dark brown (OGM, 2020)
- Drying of the fruit stem; Erbaş (2024) states that the most suitable harvest time is understood when the stem is completely blackened
- The fruit loses its juice and the seeds inside make noise when shaken (OGM, 2020)
- When the pod is cut in half, the inside is completely brown (OGM, 2020)
- Reducing the fruit moisture to the appropriate level for harvest; Erbaş (2024) states that the harvest is done when the fruit moisture reaches 12-18%
Pods that are picked early and still greenish inside are not only deficient in taste and sugar development, but also increase the risk of mold and insects in storage because they are moist. Too late causes other problems: Fruits that stay on the tree or on the ground for a long time remain open to pests such as rain, rodents and locust bean moth for a longer time. Therefore, when the signs of ripeness become evident, the harvest should not be delayed.
Traditional Harvesting: Pole Roll and Cry and Netting
Carob harvesting is still largely done by hand in the world. Tous and Ferguson (1996) state that the pods are picked by hand, dropped by hitting with long poles, or the tree is shaken. Erbaş (2024) also states that the harvest is done by hand, with the help of long poles and fiber nets laid under the tree.
Traditional harvesting usually proceeds in this order:
1. Preparation of tree bottom
Along the crown projection of the tree, nets, tarpaulins or covers are laid on the ground. Thanks to this, the fallen pods do not mix with soil, stones and weeds; it becomes easier to collect and the fruit remains clean.
2. Pole clean and jerk
Controlled blows are made with long and light poles on the branches with ripe pods. The aim here is not to break the branch, but to separate the ripe pod with a dried stem. Sources especially emphasize that during harvest, the delicate flowers that will produce the next year's crop should not be damaged (Feedipedia, "Carob").
3. Collection and sorting
The pods accumulated on the cover are collected; leaves, branch pieces, stones and soil are removed. If the pods that are rotten, moldy, broken or have insect holes are separated at this stage, the next storage and processing processes will be healthier.
4. Bagging or crating
Clean pods are placed in sacks or crates and transported to a cool, shady and dry place. In the Alanya Carob geographical indication certificate, it is stated that the product is placed in 15 kg boxes or 20–25 kg sacks (Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, 2025).
Points to Consider in Harvest
Harvesting carob is a maintenance process that also affects the yield of the tree in the next year. The main issues to be considered are:
- Protecting inflorescences and young shoots; avoiding hard blows
- Not to open wounds on branches and bark; wounds can be the gateway for wood rot and bacterial infections
- Not leaving old, contaminated fruit on the tree or on the ground
- Using a cover instead of dropping the fruit directly into the ground
- Not collecting wet fruit on rainy days and afterwards and keeping it in a closed sack
- To take occupational safety measures on poles, ladders and high slope terrain
In terms of plant health, these warnings also have a scientific basis. Castello et al. (2023), who compiled carob pathogens in Italy, state that the causative agent of bacterial leaf necrosis can enter through wounds opened during pruning and harvesting, and wood rot fungi settle on the tree through wounds and cuts. Careful harvesting reduces these risks.
Is Mechanical Harvesting Possible?
Mechanical harvesting in carob is an issue that is increasingly on the agenda due to the high cost of labor. Erbaş (2024) states that harvesting labor accounts for approximately 30-35% of the total production cost and mentions that machines adapted for mechanical harvesting can be used. Tous and Ferguson (1996) also count shaking the tree among the harvesting methods. In the carob data sheet on Feedipedia, it is stated that the pods are separated from the tree manually or mechanically and collected in nets.
However, the success of mechanical harvesting depends on the shape of the tree, the garden layout and the machine settings. It is difficult to use machinery in traditional, scattered, old and wide-crowned trees; on the other hand, the use of equipment such as trunk shakers can be planned more easily in newly established, regularly spaced and trunk trained gardens. The fact that the shaking process coincides with flowering is also a point that should be carefully evaluated in mechanical harvesting.
First Steps After Harvest
Harvesting is only the first link in the process in terms of product quality. According to the information in Feedipedia, the pods that fall from the tree are dried in the open air for 48–72 hours until they reach a level of approximately 92% dry matter. Erbaş (2024), on the other hand, states that the fruit is delivered to the processor after harvest or stored under shelter, and its moisture gradually decreases during the storage months.
The Alanya Carob geographical indication certificate states that the product is stored at 15–20 °C, in a moisture-free and dry environment, at a maximum relative humidity of 60%, without refrigeration or heating (Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, 2025). Although the details of drying and storage are the subject of a separate article, it is sufficient to keep the following principle in mind during harvest: the cleaner, drier and more intact the fruit is picked, the less problems it causes in storage.
The most important pest during the storage period is the carob moth. Gugliuzzo et al. (2019), who compiled carob pests in the Mediterranean region, state that this moth can transmit carob both in the garden and in the warehouse. Separating the contaminated pods at harvest is the simplest way to preserve the quality of the product entering the warehouse.
The Relationship Between Harvest and Quality
Carob fruit turns into different products according to the purpose of use: flour and powder, broken (granule), molasses, extract and gum obtained from the kernel. The starting point in all of these products is well-ripened and correctly picked fruit.
| Harvest error | Possible outcome |
|---|---|
| Early harvest | High humidity, incomplete sugar and aroma development, risk of mold in storage |
| Late harvest | Increase in moth and rodent damage, rain wetting |
| Dropping the fruit into the ground | Mixing of stones, soil and foreign matter |
| Hard and sloppy shrug | Loss of flowers and shoots, branch wounds, decrease in yield the next year |
| Lack of weeding | Mixing of dishes and intact product, decrease in batch quality |
This table is a general assessment derived from the maturity and storage information in the sources. In professional procurement, checking the harvested batch for moisture, impurities and pest contamination forms the basis of the quality expectation between the buyer and the seller.
Frequently Asked Questions
In which month is carob collected?
In the coastal parts of Turkey, the harvest is usually done between the end of summer and September-October; depending on the region, it may extend to November and later.
How do I know when carob is ripe?
The main symptoms are that the pod turns dark brown, the stem dries up and blackens, the beans sound when shaken, and the inside is completely brown when broken.
Can carob that has fallen to the ground be collected?
Ripe pods that have fallen off on their own can be collected; however, pods that have been in the ground for a long time, wet, moldy or perforated should be separated.
Does the harvest affect the next year's crop?
Yes. Since the harvest coincides with flowering, hard shaking can damage flowers and young shoots, reducing the yield of the next year.
From Harvest to Product with Carob Türkiye
The basis of a quality product in carob is timely and careful harvesting. Reading the signs of ripeness correctly, picking the fruit clean, and storing it in dry post-harvest conditions facilitate all subsequent processing stages. At Carob Türkiye, we supply carob fruit, crumbs, flour/powder, seeds, and extracts.
To get information about products obtained from fruit What is Carob Flour Powder? and What is Carob Seed? You can read our articles, Carob Fruit You can review our product page. For your wholesale and export requests Contact Now You can contact us on our page.
Domestic resources
General Directorate of Forestry, "Carob Garden Facility Project: Feasibility Report and Investor Guide", Republic of Turkey Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 2020. I'll take it to Konya.
gov. en/ assets/ upload/ files/ Carob- … Erbaş, S., "Carob Agriculture and Industry Feasibility Report", Western Mediterranean Development Agency, Publication No: 153, 2024. DEVELOPMENT LIBRARY.
gov. en/ assets/ upload/ files/ Keciboy... Turkish Patent and Trademark Office, "Alanya Carob / Alanya Carob" Geographical Indication Registration Certificate, Registration No: 1705, 2025. ci.
turkpatent. gov. en/ Files/ GeographicalSigns/ 7bbe4a8b- 399… Foreign sources
Tous, J., Ferguson, L., "Mediterranean Fruits", Progress in New Crops (ed. J. Janick), pp. 416–430, 1996. Growables.
org/ information/ TropicalFruit/ CarobProgNewCrop. htm Feedipedia – Animal Feed Resources Information System, "Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)". feedipedia.
org/ node/ 320 Castello, I., Polizzi, G., Vitale, A., "Major Pathogens Affecting Carob in the Mediterranean Basin: Current Knowledge and Outlook in Italy", Pathogens, 12(11), 1357, 2023. doi.
org/ 10. 3390/ pathogens12111357 Gugliuzzo, A., Mazzeo, G., Mansour, R., Tropea Garzia, G., "Carob pests in the Mediterranean region: bio-ecology, natural enemies and management options", Phytoparasitica, 47(5), 605–628, 2019. doi.
Scientific Resourcesorg/ 10. 1007/ S12600- 019- 00766- 7
