Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Potatoes?

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Video: Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Potatoes?

Video: Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Potatoes?
Video: IS IT SAFE TO EAT A SPROUTED POTATO? 2024, December
Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Potatoes?
Is It Safe To Eat Sprouted Potatoes?
Anonim

The discovery that your potatoes have sproutedwhen you're in the middle of cooking dinner is frustrating. Do you have to run to the store for more? Should you eat them like that or not? Do you just have to give up and order a pizza?

Is it safe to eat?

The good news is that potatoes are safe to eat, even after they have sprouted, as long as they are still firm to the touch and do not look too wrinkled. Most of the nutrients are still intact in the solid sprouted potatoes. You can simply remove the sprouts from it and continue with your recipe. No need to change your dinner plans.

Like a potato, it turns starch into sugar to feed the new potato plant that will grow from the sprouts. At the beginning of this process you may find soft spots around the sprouts. Just remove the sprouts and any soft stains.

When should you not eat them?

As the germination process progresses, the potatoes begin to shrink as more and more starch turns into sugar and is used to grow sprouts. Wrinkled, cracked, sprouted, the potatoes will lose more nutrients and will not be very tasty. In the end, your recipes will not be the same, so it's best not to use your potatoes if they're that way.

Toxins

can sprouted potatoes be consumed
can sprouted potatoes be consumed

Solanine and other glycoalkaloids are present in potato plants as well as potato tuber sprouts. Both are toxic to humans and can lead to headaches, vomiting and other digestive problems. That is why you need to remove the sprouts before eating potatoes.

Solanine is concentrated in the sprouts and skin, but not in the rest of the potatoes. As you remove them, you will hardly feel its effects. If your potatoes have a green peel, make sure you remove it before eating them.

How to protect potatoes from germination

Do you constantly find sprouted potatoes in your closet? It is important to store your potatoes in a cool, dry and dark place if you are going to store them for a long time and keep them away from onions (which will make them sprout faster).

Potato growers often treat their potatoes in different ways to prevent them from sprouting, but if you buy organic potatoes or grow your own, you may need a few tips and tricks to make them last longer.

Follow these simple storage suggestions to extend the shelf life of your potatoes to weeks (or even months):

Home potatoes should be dried outdoors before they are suitable for long-term storage. If you miss this simple but important step, they will not last as long as you want.

And while it may seem obvious, damaged potatoes won't keep well either. Store potatoes of good quality and are less likely to spoil or germinate prematurely.

In addition, they will not ruin the healthy potatoes around them. And be sure to store them in a dark and cool place, because otherwise they may not last a week.

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