Should You Avoid Eating Sprouted Potatoes ?

While potatoes are a staple in many households, sprouted potatoes often raise eyebrows. Many of us may be wondering: should we avoid eating sprouted potatoes ? This article explores the toxicity of sprouted potatoes, their potential health risks and how to safely handle and consume them.

The Toxicity of Sprouted Potatoes

Understanding Sprouted Potatoes

Sprouted potatoes remain edible if the sprouts are recent and the vegetable is still firm. However, caution must be employed when the tubers have turned green as they contain solanine, a potentially dangerous toxin.

Sprouting and Solanine Production

As a defense mechanism against insects and predators, potatoes produce solanine. The level of this toxin increases with germination or when the potato is exposed to light resulting in a green colour.

Intriguingly, after examining this initial aspect of sprouted potatoes, it’s crucial to delve into understanding solanine itself.

Understanding the Risks of Solanine

Solanine: a Natural Toxin

Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in species of the nightshade, present naturally in all potatoes. It can cause symptoms like nausea, diarrhea and vomiting when consumed in large amounts. In severe cases, it might also cause hallucinations or paralysis.

Potential Health Risks

An article published back in 1979 reported 78 cases of school children in England suffering from intoxication due to solanine after consuming potatoes. The symptoms ranged from gastrointestinal distress to neurological complications; however, such instances are quite rare given the common usage of potatoes worldwide.

Drawing from these insights about solanine and its risks, we can now identify the symptoms of solanine poisoning.

Symptoms of Solanine Poisoning

Common Symptoms

Intoxication from solanine could lead to a variety of symptoms. The initial signs might include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. In more severe cases, affected individuals may experience rapid pulse, lowered body temperature or even unconsciousness.

Rare Symptoms

In rare instances, complications such as neurological disorders or hallucinations have been reported due to high consumption of sprouted potatoes with increased levels of solanine.

Knowing these symptoms, it’s important to ponder whether it’s safe to consume these sprouted potatoes in our daily diet.

Can You Safely Cook Sprouted Potatoes ?

Handling Sprouted Potatoes

You should discard heavily sprouted and green potatoes. For those with minor sprouts, removing them along with any green parts will make the potato safe for consumption.

The Cooking Process

Opting for boiling the potatoes is recommended as it can help lessen any residual toxicity. However, this doesn’t entirely eliminate the toxin and hence proper handling is still advised before cooking.

This leads us to explore prevention strategies for potato sprouting.

Preventing Potato Sprouting

Proper Storage

Potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark place with good ventilation. Avoid storing them in plastic bags as they trap moisture contributing to faster spoilage. A cardboard box, basket or paper bag is ideal.

But what if your potatoes have already started sprouting ?

What to Do With Already Sprouted Potatoes ?

Cutting off the Sprouts

If your potatoes have small sprouts, you can simply cut off the sprouts and any green spots before cooking. Always ensure that the remaining potato is firm and not shriveled.

When to Discard

However, if the sprouts are large or the potato is shrunken and wrinkled, it’s best to throw it away. The higher solanine content could pose a risk.

Having understood these aspects, let’s look at some tips on how to remove sprouts effectively.

Tips for Removing Sprouts from Potatoes

Effective Removal Techniques

You can use a clean kitchen knife to cut off the eyes or sprouted parts of the potato. Some also find using a vegetable peeler effective in removing both sprouts and green areas.

At this stage, we’re left with one important question: should overly-sprouted potatoes be composted or discarded ?

Recycle or Throw Away: the Fate of Over-Sprouted Potatoes

To Compost or Not ?

Overly-sprouted potatoes can make a good addition to your compost pile. However, keep in mind that they could continue to grow in your compost pile unless thoroughly covered with other compost materials.

The Final Verdict

In cases where the potatoes are too far gone – overly soft, mushy, or rotten – it’s better to play safe and discard them rather than risking contamination of your entire composting process.

To sum up, while you need not avoid eating sprouted potatoes always, caution is warranted when they turn green indicating an increased solanine level. By taking necessary precautions like proper storage, thorough cleaning and removing sprouts, you can continue to safely enjoy this versatile vegetable. Remember, when in doubt, it’s safer to throw it out !