Topic: Green Potatoes

[mikeandglenda]

Hello All,
A while ago now we harvested out maincrop Desiree potatoes. At the time we'd had some heavy showers & this had caused some of the potatoes near the surface to become uncovered & they subsequently went green. These we discarded. We've stored our potatoes in paper sacks (courtesy of Waitrose !) in a dark place. Trouble is, as we go to use them they appear ok on the outside with nice red skins but are green on the inside. Are these still poisonous or can we use them ? Any ideas anyone ?
Regards,
Mike & Glenda

[Palustris]

I would have thought that the green part would make them inedible anyway, but I was always led to believe that any green flesh on a potato was poisonous. Interesting to read the opinions of an expert though!

[tim]

Something new every day! = Tim

[Hugh_Jones]

Green potato is indeed poisonous.  However, I have often found that in wet seasons a small proportion of my potatoes are similarly affected in that there is green under skins. I have also found many instances of `bought` potatoes similarly affected.  This is frequently a very thin layer, and a few extra strokes of the potato peeler are usually sufficient to remove all the green and the potato is then used normally.

I have been doing this for more years than I care to remember, and I`ve not suffered any harm yet

[Mrs Ava]

So what is the poison in the green flesh, and is it present throughout the spud, but becomes concentrated in the green flesh?  And how poisonous is poisonous?  I have to admit, I do remove the green, but do use them if they have a green tint.....are my days numbered?

[tim]

I thought m&g meant 'green all through'. But a bit under the skin? - of course, as Hugh says, go one stroke deeper. I doubt that many of us have tried the toxicity test - or aim to?

What about green carrots? = Tim

[philcooper]

EJ,

The tubers (when not green) are the only parts of the plant that do not contain toxins.

There are several glycoalkaloids (alkaloids + sugars) that are potentially toxic in the potato family.  A prototypical glycoalkaloid is called solanine (sugar [solanose] + alkaloid [solanidine] = solanine).

They affect the nervous system so not trying them seems like a good idea

Phil  

[Bannerdown]

I too have always thought it was poisonous, we peel the green bits off and cook the rest and we are still here (cough, cough)!

I have grown 'Salad Blue' for a number of years and we cannot tell if they are green or not as they (as the name implies) are blue throughout!  If anyone wants to grow an unusual spud, this is for you.  They remain blue even when cooked. Cheers, Tony.

[pM]

Green potaoes contain glycoalkaloids and chlorophyll

Info from FSA website www.eatwell.gov.uk:http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/asksam/healthydiet/fruitandvegq/#A220073Are green bits on potatoes bad for you?
It's best to avoid eating any green bits on potatoes. This is because they can contain high levels of natural toxins called glycoalkaloids.

Glycoalkaloids are usually found in potatoes at low levels. But they can be higher in:


green parts
damaged parts
sprouted parts
High levels of glycoalkaloids can upset the digestive system and cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. But glycoalkaloid poisoning is extremely rare, even though potatoes are eaten in very large amounts in many countries.
From DoH website (via google search):
http://www.archive.official-documents.co.uk/document/doh/toxicity/chap-1b.htm
To avoid high levels of glycoalkaloids being produced in potatoes, store them in a dark, cool and dry place. And remember not to eat any damaged, green or sprouted parts. If potatoes still taste bitter after you've removed these bits, it's better not to eat them, because they could contain high levels of glycoalkaloids.
   Glycoalkaloids are a group of natural toxicants which are present in potatoes. Concentrations are highest in the sprouts and peel and are greater when the potatoes are damaged. Removal of the sprouting and other damaged areas, together with peeling, substantially reduces their concentration in potatoes. Potatoes contain two major glycoalkaloids, a-solanine and a-chaconine, which together account for 95% of the total glycoalkaloid content. However, potatoes also contain a number of other inherent toxicants such as tropane alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins, protease inhibitors and lectins. Glycoalkaloids are heat stable and are, therefore, not removed in cooking, whereas lectins are heat labile and are likely to be of little toxicological consequence with regard to potato consumption.

[chrispea]

so presumably you cannot bake any green potatoes as the skin would still contain the toxins? it is hard  sometimes to see the green under the surface particularly at this festive time HIC! :o