Normally, it takes 15-20 days after fruit set or 90-120 days from planting for fruit to reach marketable age. At harvest, the fruits should be light green, thick and juicy, and the seeds should be soft and white. Harvest once in every 2-3 days using a pair of scissors or a sharp knife to cut the fruit stalk and 8-10 harvests are possible in a crop life. If a fruit remains too long on the vine, it will turn spongy, sour, yellow or orange, and split open.
Yield can vary depending on variety and crop management. Under average management snake gourd yields 30-40 t/ha. Fruits of snake gourd do not keep long and should be sold in the market immediately. Remove damaged and deformed fruits. Store the fruits in a cool place at 12-13°C with 85-90% relative humidity. Under this condition, fruit storage life can be extended 2-3 weeks. Snake gourd is chilling sensitive and damage may occur if kept below 10°C. Keep harvested fruits away from other fruits (such as banana, pineapple and apple) that release large amounts of ethylene, a ripening hormone.