Potatoes -- Green
Potatoes -- Green
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Potatoes -- Green
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Post #1 - August 24th, 2007, 5:39 pmThis may be a dumb question, however --
I was making mashed potatoes tonight. One of the potatoes looked find before I pealed it. However, after it was pealed, it had a definite greenish color.
I tossed the potato.
Thoughts? Wasted potato, or disaster averted?
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Post #2 - August 24th, 2007, 5:48 pmDML wrote:This may be a dumb question, however --
I was making mashed potatoes tonight. One of the potatoes looked find before I pealed it. However, after it was pealed, it had a definite greenish color.
I tossed the potato.
Thoughts? Wasted potato, or disaster averted?
Potatoes turn green when they are exposed to light for long periods of time. It is best to either cut off the green part or toss the potato as you did.Steve Z.
“Only the pure in heart can make a good soup.”
― Ludwig van Beethoven
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Post #3 - August 24th, 2007, 6:36 pmMore importantly, that exposure to light increases the amount of solanine produced, which, in sufficient quantities, can make you pretty sick. That said, peeling helps reduce the amount of solanine in the potato a ton, so you might have been OK even if you'd mashed the green part.
But yeah, just cut away any green parts on potatoes. It's safer that way, and it tastes better.Last edited by gleam on August 24th, 2007, 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post #4 - August 24th, 2007, 6:36 pmI'll second Steve's comment. The greenish color indicates a high level of the toxic alkaloids solanine and chaconine ... probably not enough to kill you, but could create digestive and neurological problems, depending on the green-ness and how much you ate. If the potato tastes bitter - same thing, alkaloids.
You were wise to toss the potato, or at least cut off the gree parts by a wide margin.
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Post #5 - August 24th, 2007, 7:06 pmHi,
I have read before that eating green potatoes should be avoided by pregnant women or those who may become pregnant. While searching for a verification, I found a more expanded reply on why to avoid eating green potatoes on an Australian Food Safety website:
Green potatoes may cause food poisoning and since some of the symptoms are similar to gastroenteritis it is possible that some undiagnosed cases of gastroenteritis have been caused by eating green potatoes.
Human and livestock deaths have been recorded as a result of the consumption of greened or damaged potatoes with very high glycoalkaloid levels. It should be noted that glycoalkaloids are not destroyed by cooking processes, even by frying in hot oil. Consequently potatoes with pronounced greening or with signs of damage should not be eaten.
It is advisable that green or damaged potatoes are avoided by pregnant women or women who are likely to become pregnant, as there is some evidence of possible foetal damage or loss of the foetus from glycoalkaloid poisoning in animals.
Regards,Cathy2
"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
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