Is It Protected to Eat Inexperienced Potatoes?

From mashed potatoes to crispy fries, the common-or-garden potato is a staple in kitchens worldwide, liked for its versatility and comfort-food attraction. Nonetheless, a priority arises while you encounter a potato with a inexperienced hue—do you have to eat it? 

Potatoes with inexperienced spots usually tend to comprise elevated ranges of the toxin solanine, which might trigger digestive signs if consumed. Nonetheless, they might be fit for human consumption when sure precautions are taken. We spoke with Zachary Cartwright, PhD, lead meals scientist at Aqualab and a member of the Institute of Meals Technologists Meals Security and High quality Administration Division, to search out out extra. 

Why Do Potatoes Flip Inexperienced?

Potatoes—which, after all, develop underground—flip inexperienced when uncovered to any sort of sunshine, whether or not it is daylight, fluorescent lighting in a retailer, and even the sunshine in your kitchen. The inexperienced colour is attributable to the manufacturing of chlorophyll, the identical pigment that provides different crops their inexperienced colour. Chlorophyll itself is innocent and doesn’t have an effect on the potato’s taste or security straight. Nonetheless, the greening course of can generally point out one thing extra regarding is occurring beneath the floor—a rise in solanine.

What Is Solanine?

Cartwright says solanine is a pure glycoalkaloid poison present in all members of the nightshade household, which incorporates potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants. “In crops, solanine serves as a protection mechanism in opposition to pests and illnesses,” he says. “Whereas potatoes naturally comprise small quantities of solanine, the degrees enhance to poisonous ranges when the potato is broken, uncovered to mild, or saved beneath too scorching or too chilly circumstances.”

Solanine additionally causes a bitter taste. If cooked potatoes style bitter or trigger a burning sensation in your mouth or throat, this will point out excessive solanine ranges, even when the potato doesn’t look inexperienced.

Well being Dangers of Solanine

Consuming excessive ranges of solanine can result in solanine poisoning, which, although uncommon, may cause critical signs, together with:

• Gastrointestinal misery. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are the commonest signs related to solanine poisoning. These signs can happen inside hours of consuming a inexperienced potato.
• Neurological signs. In additional extreme instances, solanine can have an effect on the nervous system, resulting in complications, dizziness, confusion, and even hallucinations.

Most instances of solanine poisoning contain delicate signs and are sometimes the results of consuming important quantities of inexperienced potatoes, however the one method to utterly mitigate the chance is to utterly avoid any inexperienced potato flesh. 

How A lot Solanine is Harmful?

“A potato with solanine ranges above 20 milligrams per 100 grams of potato flesh can begin to trigger signs,” says Cartwright, although typical store-bought potatoes normally comprise a lot lower than this.

The quantity of solanine that may trigger poisoning varies relying on a number of components, together with the person’s weight, the quantity of inexperienced potato consumed, and the solanine focus within the potato. Solanine poisoning signs could start to look after consuming two to 5 milligrams of solanine per kilogram of the individual’s physique weight. For reference, a potato with seen greening may comprise round 250 to 280 milligrams of solanine per kilogram, that means {that a} small quantity of inexperienced potato can nonetheless pose a danger, particularly for kids.

What to Do if Your Potato is Inexperienced

In case you discover a potato has turned inexperienced, listed below are some steps you may take:

1. Assess the greening. In case you see inexperienced spots on the skin, it does not imply the entire potato is affected. “You possibly can take away the spots and eat the potato,” says Cartwright, “but when it is too nice of an extent, I would not even mess with that.”
2. Verify for sprouts. Inexperienced potatoes typically develop sprouts, which additionally comprise excessive ranges of solanine. In case your potato has sprouted, it’s greatest to take away the sprouts or discard the potato altogether. In case you select to make use of the potato, reduce or dig the sprouts out utterly, eradicating any inexperienced flesh across the sprouts as nicely.
3. Peel the potato. Because the majority of solanine that’s already current in potatoes is concentrated within the pores and skin and simply beneath it, peeling the potato may also help scale back the solanine content material. You’ll want to take away any inexperienced flesh as nicely.
4. After cooking potatoes, pay attention to any bitter flavors. Solanine is heat-stable, says Cartwright, that means that baking, boiling, frying, or cooking the potato in every other approach won’t scale back its solanine content material. Solanine can impart a bitter style to the potato, so in case your potato tastes bitter after cooking, it is a good indication that it might comprise increased ranges of solanine and it is best to cease consuming it.

Stopping Potatoes From Turning Inexperienced

Business potato growers take measures to stop greening in potatoes from the second the spuds are harvested to after they arrive on grocery retailer produce stands. “This consists of every part from correct storage and dealing with to screening measures for greening and sprouting earlier than reaching customers,” says Cartwright. “For this reason you don’t actually see inexperienced potatoes on the grocery retailer. However which will change as they sit out on a kitchen counter over time.”

One of the best ways to keep away from the chance of solanine poisoning is to stop your potatoes from turning inexperienced within the first place. This comes down to a few foremost components, in accordance with Cartwright: 

1. Correct storage. Hold potatoes in a cool, darkish, and dry place. Response with mild will trigger greening and solanine formation, so this step is vital. 
2. Keep away from injury. Make sure you’re dealing with the potatoes fastidiously to keep away from bruising or nicks, which might additionally trigger solanine formation.
3. Devour recent potatoes. Getting older and sprouting will even result in increased solanine concentrations, so eat your spuds earlier than they sprout or flip inexperienced.

The Takeaway: Ought to You Eat Inexperienced Potatoes?

There are potential well being dangers related to consuming solanine, a compound current in inexperienced potatoes, so it’s greatest to keep away from consuming these discolored tubers while you come throughout them. Whereas small quantities of inexperienced potato may not trigger extreme signs, the dangers can outweigh the advantages. In case you do come throughout a inexperienced potato, your most secure guess is to both reduce away the affected areas or discard the potato solely.

By storing potatoes appropriately and being vigilant about any indicators of greening, you may take pleasure in this versatile starchy vegetable with out fear.