1 st squeeze them. If they tend to stay compressed then they are not ready. Some commercial hop companies use machinery to harvest the crop but there is a great risk to jar out the lupulin inside the cone. Many places today still handpick each hop with care. In order to maximize the lupulin extraction, the hops need to be dried.
Farmers have special rooms for taking the water out and letting the least amount of oxygen in.
After they are dried they are stored. Today the freezer is the best place for them. It is very common to get at least four harvests and possibly five. The hops will turn brown if they are not picked in time. There are some obstacles that will affect the hops.