Potatoes, also known as potatoes or yams, are a common food that can be eaten as a vegetable or as a staple food. There are many ways to prepare potatoes, such as frying, boiling, and stewing. However, we have noticed a problem that potatoes tend to sprout if stored for a long time. So, can we still eat sprouted potatoes? Let's find out how to handle sprouted potatoes.
1. The principle of potato sprouting
The potatoes that people eat are their tubers, which have many indentations called eyes. There is a group of axillary buds in the eyes, and there is an apical bud at the top of the tuber. During the storage of potatoes, if they are stored for a long time, the temperature is high, and there is direct sunlight on the surface of the potatoes, they may sprout. When sprouting, enzymes are produced at the sprouting site. Enzymes are biological catalysts that can decompose stored substances and convert them into substances that support sprout growth. During this substance conversion process, a toxin called solanine is produced. Solanine is a type of alkaloid that can cause hemolysis and mucosal irritation.
2. Hazards of sprouted potatoes
Fresh potatoes contain trace amounts of solanine, which is not harmful to the human body. However, during long-term storage, the solanine content gradually increases. When potatoes turn green, sprout, or rot, the solanine content increases significantly. Eating a small amount of solanine may not have obvious harm to the human body, but consuming 0.2-0.4 grams of solanine at once can cause poisoning.
Solanine has a strong irritant effect on the gastrointestinal tract, paralyzes the respiratory center, and can cause cerebral edema and congestion. In addition, it has a hemolytic effect on red blood cells.
Symptoms include itching and burning sensation in the throat, burning sensation or pain in the upper abdomen, mild vomiting and diarrhea, dizziness, headache, and even dehydration. In severe cases, it can cause heart failure, respiratory center paralysis, and death.
3. How to eat sprouted potatoes
After removing the sprouts from sprouted potatoes, there may still be residual solanine in the green parts of the tuber, which can also cause poisoning. However, any problem must be considered in terms of quantity. In general, it is unlikely to eat enough potatoes to cause food poisoning. Therefore, if a large potato has a small sprout, there should be no problem with removing and eating it.
Potatoes with fewer sprouts should have the sprout eyes thoroughly removed, and the surrounding parts of the sprout eyes should be trimmed. These potatoes are not suitable for frying and should be fully cooked and stewed. Adding vinegar during cooking can accelerate the destruction of solanine.
However, if the potatoes have severe mold or discoloration on the surface, or if a potato has multiple sprouts, it should be discarded without hesitation. Even if the sprouted parts are removed, eating such potatoes will not only cause no poisoning, but also the remaining nutrients will be minimal, and the taste will be poor.
I suggest that you can store potatoes in a cool place without direct sunlight to prevent sprouting. Another method is to store them with apples because apples can release ethylene gas, which can slow down the continued "development" of potatoes and greatly reduce the chance of sprouting.
