What if potatoes sprout

Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines by marking them offensive. Let's work together to keep the conversation civil. We never lose any opportunity to pounce on discounted items or good and economical offers while shopping.

Be it clothes, household items or grocery shopping, we always tend to look for discounts and sales. While grocery shopping, if we notice a large bag of potatoes at a good price, we buy it.

But when left unused and unattended for a long time, these potatoes sprout little green roots. At that time, we often question ourselves that are the spuds still safe to eat? Can we still cook with them?

Often, it is the storage conditions that inspire the potatoes to start sprouting. All they need is darkness and moisture, which make your kitchen an ideal place for potatoes to start growing eyes.

According to Dr. The concentration of the hormones decreases over time in the tuber potatoes or tubers are underground swollen stems , allowing the sprouting of tubers. This is a necessity in nature, if potatoes are to eventually reproduce by tubers to produce new plants. NO, they are not safe to consume.

According to the National Capital Poison Center an organization accredited by the American Association of Poison Control Centers , it may be best to discard potatoes that have sprouted or turned green.

Although many people and websites suggest that the sprouts could be removed and then the potatoes can be consumed, it is advisable to avoid doing so. Potatoes are a natural source of two glycoalkaloid compounds- solanine and chaconine. When consumed in small amounts, they offer health benefits like antibiotic properties and blood-sugar and cholesterol-lowering effects. However, they can become toxic when consumed in excess quantities.

As a potato sprouts, its glycoalkaloid content begins to rise. Therefore, eating potatoes that have sprouted can cause you to consume excessive quantities of these compounds. At lower quantities, excess glycoalkaloid consumption leads to abdominal pain, diarrhea and vomiting.

When consumed in larger amounts, they can cause low blood pressure, fever, headaches, and in some cases, even death. The best way to reduce sprouting in potatoes is to avoid stockpiling them. Buy them as per your requirements only. Also, damaged potatoes must be discarded and the remaining ones must be stored in in a cool, dry, and dark place. Until then, discarding sprouted or green potatoes may be the safest thing to do. One of the best ways to reduce sprouting in potatoes is to avoid stockpiling them and only buy them when you have plans to use them.

In addition, discarding damaged potatoes and ensuring that the remaining ones are fully dry before storing them in a cool, dry, dark place may also reduce the likelihood of sprouting 7. Anecdotal reports suggest that storing potatoes with onions should also be avoided, as putting the two together may accelerate sprouting. Storing intact, dry potatoes in a cool, dry, dark place can help reduce the likelihood of sprouting.

Sprouted potatoes contain higher levels of glycoalkaloids, which can be toxic to humans when eaten in excess. Health problems linked to eating sprouted potatoes range from stomach upset to heart and nervous system problems, and, in severe cases, even death.

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And solanine is not a good thing to ingest. I will sometimes do just that. Save Pin FB More. There are a few conditions under which you need to rethink using a potato. If the skin is excessively wrinkled—toss it. If the flesh is very soft and squishy—toss it.