Tastefullyjulie,
I wait until the pods have dried (brown and papery)to remove the seeds. If you plant them right away, soak the seeds in water for a couple hours before planting--most seeds come up in 3 or 4 days.
Good luck,
Niptrixbop

I just did that experiement and the green seeds germinated better than the brown seeds - I dont think they last too long.