The potato is a cool-season vegetable that ranks with wheat and rice as one of the most important staple crops in our diet. The potatoes are versatile and nutritious, and easy to buy from supermarket and greengrocer. But when they begin to sprout, are they safe to eat?
Why do the potatoes sprout?
There are many sunken in potatoes, which is the bud eyes. During the storage of potatoes, if the time is long and temperature is high, or the potatoes are exposed to sunlight, the potatoes will begin to sprout, breaking down the stock material in the potato to translate into nutrition for improving sprouting. That’s why the potatoes begin to shrivel.
Can We Eat the Sprouted Potatoes?
During translating process of the stock material in the potatoes, a kind of bitterly toxic alkaloid called solanine will form, which will bring about poisoning symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness and diarrhea. If serious, it will give rise to heart and respiratory paralysis, and thereby leading to death of people.
If sprouted potato is still firm, then it is safe to eat once the sprouts have been removed. If the potato is shrunken and wrinkled, it should be discarded totally.
How to store the potatoes to prevent sprouting?
1. Kitchen storage
At room temperature the potatoes will be at their best for one week or so. For longer time storage, keep the temperature between 7.2 and 10 degrees C (45 and 50 degrees F), then the potatoes will stay fresh for several weeks. Keep in mind that the potatoes should be stored in a cool and humid environment with good air circulation. Meanwhile, it should be noted that the potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator, which will change the taste of the potato as the starch will convert into sugar.
2. Long-term storage
For the long-term storage, make sure the temperature is between 7.2 and 10 degrees C (45 and 50 degrees F), and keep the potatoes in a dark and humid environment with good air circulation. Clean off the dirt clinging on the potatoes by hands, prohibiting washing them before storage. Meanwhile, don’t store the potatoes near the fruit, as the fruit will give off ethylene, which encourages sprouting of potatoes. You can lay the potatoes between the waste newspaper, so as to avoid rot spread to others, and also can prevent the potatoes from light exposure.
If you have large quantity of potatoes, you can process them into potato chips to extend the storage time.
