Is It Safe to Eat Sprouted Potatoes? Here's What Experts Say (2024)

FAQs

Is It Safe to Eat Sprouted Potatoes? Here's What Experts Say? ›

Sometimes called eyes, these frilly growths can look worrisome but are entirely natural. Sprouted potatoes are safe to eat, too; just remove the eyes and check the rest of the potatoes for freshness.

Sprouted potatoes that are still firm, have relatively small sprouts, and don't show any wrinkles or shriveling are okay to eat, as long as you cut off the sprouted parts and soft spots. However, there's still a chance you could get sick. If your potato is sprouted and shriveled up, then it's too far gone. Toss, it.

The Bottom Line. You are better off tossing potatoes that have turned green or grown sprouts. Eating them puts you at risk for toxicity from solanine and chaconine, 2 natural toxins found in green or sprouted potatoes.

The key is to store potatoes in a cool dry place, like in the cabinet of a pantry, in a paper bag or cardboard box. It's important to keep potatoes at the cool, ideal temperature (but not, surprisingly, the fridge) to prevent them from turning green, getting soft spots, or pre-maturely sprouting.

Thoroughly cook sprouts. Heating sprouts on high heat kills most harmful bacteria and reduces your risk of food poisoning.

Raw potatoes should be firm to the touch with tight skin that's free of large bruises, black spots, or other blemishes. If a potato has become soft or mushy, you should throw it out. Though it's normal for potatoes to smell earthy or nutty, a musty or moldy odor is a hallmark of spoilage.

Sometimes called eyes, these frilly growths can look worrisome but are entirely natural. Sprouted potatoes are safe to eat, too; just remove the eyes and check the rest of the potatoes for freshness.

Because of the bitter taste and appearance of such potatoes, solanine poisoning is rare outside conditions of food shortage.

There is no cure or known remedy.

If your otherwise good-looking potatoes have a few small sprouts, you can carefully remove them with a paring knife or the little loop on the end of your potato peeler (yes, that's what it's for). Make sure to really get in there and cut around the sprouted parts, excising any roots, bumps, and eyes.

What do they spray on potatoes to keep them from sprouting? ›

After mid-winter, nearly all potatoes available in com- mercial markets have been treated with a chemical sprout inhibitor, such as chlorpropham (CIPC). CIPC is the most commonly used post-harvest sprout inhibitor in the United States.

Lack of airflow can cause potatoes to accumulate moisture and spoil quickly from the growth of mold and bacteria. So, skip the airtight containers and sealed plastic bags. Instead, opt for airy containers like mesh produce bags, muslin breathable bags, paper bags, wire baskets, and burlap sacks.

"If it feels soft to the touch or wilted or wrinkled, throw it away," said Silness. You can also throw it into your garden if you are industrious! Sprouted potatoes can grow into potato plants. If you cut into a potato and it looks green, you should toss it.

The best planting time is February. But I think of potatoes as having two seasons here — one is August into early September for a late fall or early winter harvest, and the other is February for a late spring harvest.

Potatoes are planted with pieces of tubers called seed potatoes and should be placed in the ground in the spring, around the time of the last expected frost. Small potatoes can be planted whole, but larger potatoes (anything bigger than a golf ball) should be quartered with a clean knife before planting.

Consequently, it is important to store potatoes in the absence of light to prevent greening. Tubers with a high concentration of solanine will taste bitter, and can be harmful if eaten in large quantities. To be safe, it is best to not eat the green part of tubers." You do not need to discard green potatoes.

But what if they're just a little soft, or have a few sprouts? As long as the potatoes are still mostly firm, they're fine to cook. Potatoes are 80 percent water, so softness is usually just a sign of dehydration. But if they're extremely mushy or shriveled, do not pass go.

It's a common scenario in many households, which brings us to the question of whether it's safe to consume these wrinkly potatoes. According to experts at the University of Illinois, it's better to err on the side of caution and discard the shriveled taters.

Can You Still Eat an Onion That Is Sprouted? Yes, you can; there's nothing toxic or dangerous about using a sprouted onion. However, sprouting may result in a softer onion with a more bitter taste, which some people find less desirable (especially when eaten raw).