Green potatoes are the ricochets in the culinary potato paradise. Even our grandmothers warned against eating green-skinned tubers because of the risk of a bad stomach ache. This guide is dedicated to all potato lovers who have a headache about green potatoes. Read here whether green potatoes are edible or poisonous?

Potatoes should never be eaten green

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Green potatoes poisonous?
  3. Where is solanine lurking?
  4. Ate green potatoes
  5. Green spots poisonous?
  6. Prevention Tips
  7. Green seed potatoes?
  8. Harvest ripe potatoes
  9. frequently asked Questions

    10. the essentials in brief

    • Green potatoes contain a lot of toxic solanine
    • While tasting green potatoes is unlikely to have any effect, eating large amounts can lead to symptoms of poisoning
    • Signs of poisoning include: sore throat, headache, gastrointestinal discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhea
    • Deaths from green potato poisoning are extremely rare, but not uncommon

    Are green potatoes poisonous?

    Green means negative side effects for potatoes, such as toxic ingredients and a bitter taste. A naturally healthy food, green potatoes do not belong on the table. The culinary spoilsport is solanine, a natural poison that the nightshade plant uses to protect itself from predators. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid that forms under the skin in high concentrations under the influence of light. Chlorophyll is responsible for the green color. The non-toxic, green plant substance acts as an alarm signal for the presence of harmful solanine in the potato in question.

    Intentional or unintentional consumption of large amounts of green potatoes contaminated with solanine causes moderate to severe symptoms of poisoning. Since glycoalkaloids go hand in hand with a very bitter taste, the palate usually warns in good time about the ingestion of a number of green potatoes that are harmful to health.

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    Where is most of the solanine lurking?

    A bowl of steaming potatoes has been part of every table for generations. As a rule, consumption leads to a feeling of well-being for young and old. The reason for the culinary enjoyment without remorse is the observation of different solanine concentrations in different parts of a potato. Before the potatoes end up in the cooking pot, questionable components are removed. The better the chef is familiar with these connections, the more perfectly a healthy, harmless preparation succeeds. We wanted to know exactly and consulted the scientific publications by Ms. Dipl. oec. trophic Claudia Weiss. The following table demonstrates where high concentrations of solanine lurk in potatoes:

    parts of a potato total alkaloids
    entire tuber 10-150mg/kg
    skin (2-3% of a potato) 300-640mg/kg
    Skin (10-12% of a tuber) 150-1070mg/kg
    pulp 12-100mg/kg
    germs/eyes 2000-7000mg/kg

    Experts define the consumption of 2-5 milligrams of potato alkaloids per kilogram of body weight as the acute toxic dose. The smallest lethal dose is around 6 milligrams per kilogram of body weight, although significant individual fluctuations must be taken into account. Home gardeners usually harvest potatoes with an alkaloid content of well under 100 milligrams per kilogram of crops from organically cultivated vegetable patches they plant themselves. A consumption of 300 grams of potatoes leads to an intake of about 1 milligram per kilogram of body weight in an adult. This safe level applies to peeled, properly treated tubers with no green patches or budding eyes.

    Eaten green potatoes - what to do?

    Eating green potatoes initially causes abdominal pain and vomiting

    The good news first: serious poisoning from the consumption of green potatoes is rarely reported. Out of around 2000 clinically known cases in Europe as a result of poisoning by potato alkaloids, 30 ended fatally. Experts assume that mild solanine poisoning is usually not diagnosed as such. The reason is the non-specific symptoms. The following indications point to the consumption of green potatoes:

    • first symptoms: after 2 to 20 hours
    • slight scratchy throat
    • Headache, fever, low blood pressure, rapid heart rate
    • Gastrointestinal complaints
    • vomiting and diarrhea
    • strong symptoms of poisoning: drowsiness, muscle tremors, restlessness, fainting

    Symptoms of poisoning can last up to a week. The symptoms are often interpreted as a simple stomach upset and treated with self-medication. Symptoms improve quickly in robust adults and are not associated with eating green potatoes contaminated with solanine.

    If severe symptoms of poisoning occur, a doctor should be consulted immediately. Children and sensitive seniors with suspicious, non-specific symptoms belong in the hands of knowledgeable physicians to clarify the cause and prevent worse consequences.

    tips

    Popular recipes for the great tuber contain the word "green". Green beans with potatoes or green sauce with eggs and potatoes make our mouths water. This does not mean that green potatoes go into the cooking pot as an ingredient. Always use ripe potatoes with creamy yellow flesh. Generously cut off any suspicious green areas before preparation.

    Green spots on potatoes - edible or poisonous?

    For the health risk situation no all-clear given when potatoes are partially green. Green patches on potatoes often contain high concentrations of unhealthy alkaloids, making consumption a risky balancing act for the whole family. You should generously cut out isolated green spots. This precaution also applies to one or the other eye. On the other hand, potatoes with extensive green coloring of the skin as well as several green spots, eyes and sprouts are not suitable for consumption.

    Tips for prevention - so potatoes do not turn green

    Proper storage is the best prevention against green potatoes and the resulting health hazards. The following rule of thumb applies: light and heat are pure poison for stored potatoes. To enjoy premium quality potato dishes, you should store the tubers like this:

    • Always store potatoes in a dark and dry place
    • ideally spread out loosely on a shelf or stacked in an airy potato crate
    • maximum temperature at the camp site: 8°-10° Celsius
    • minimum temperature: 4°-6° Celsius

    If fresh potatoes boasted a healthy, brown skin without eyes when they were bought, this can quickly change in the unsuitable pantry. The influence of light and high temperatures stimulate the production of toxic alkaloids and turn every great tuber into a bitter, green evil. All potatoes that are not immediately prepared and eaten should therefore be stored in a dark, cool and dry place, even if the waiting time before eating is only a few days.

    digression

    Frying destroys solanine

    Food experts explicitly point out that toxic solanine and other harmful alkaloids only decompose above a temperature of 240° Celsius. Consequently, boiling green potatoes makes them inedible. However, the proud owner of a fryer does not throw away green-skinned potatoes. Frying in hot fat causes a significant reduction in solanine. It is important to note that you do not leave the fried food in the hot fat for an unnecessarily long time. There is a risk of the toxins being carried back into the finished fried fries or fried potatoes. For this reason, regular replacement of frying fat is essential.

    Green potatoes as seed potatoes - is that possible?

    Green potatoes make excellent seed potatoes

    Resourceful home gardeners do not throw away green potatoes, but give the tubers a second life as seed potatoes. In this case, the level of solanine cannot be high enough, because it stimulates germination. Green-skinned potatoes are ideal for sprouting on the windowsill. When the planting season begins in the bed, seed potatoes that have been planted start the gardening season with a vital growth advantage. How to do it:

    • Push green potatoes behind glass 4 to 6 weeks before the start of the outdoor planting season
    • Pour peat-free vegetable soil or a mix of compost and sand into a wooden box, discarded egg cardboard or seed tray
    • Spray the soil with soft water, diluted valerian tea or field horsetail decoction
    • Plant green seed potatoes up to half the tuber height
    • set up in a bright location with temperatures between 12° and 15° Celsius

    Heat and light cause the shell to turn green further and allow strong germs to sprout from the eyes. The engine of growth are glycoalkaloids, which are now showing their good side.

    Harvesting ripe potatoes - this is how it works

    If potatoes come out of the ground with a green skin, the disappointment is great. Unripe, green potatoes carry a concentrated load of toxic alkaloids. The tubers are non-climacteric fruits and do not ripen. Knowledgeable home gardeners avoid the hassle of a premature harvest of green apples by using a simple rule of thumb: 2-3 weeks after the potato leaves have died, potatoes are ready for harvest.

    At what point in time the herbaceous parts of the plant move in depends primarily on the potato variety being cultivated. Early strains take 90 to 110 days to grow, while late strains take up to 160 days to mature. Furthermore, the weather, soil quality and nutrient supply contribute to when unripe, green potatoes deep in the ground transform into ripe, brown-skinned tuber treasures.

    Peeling potatoes and cutting out individual green spots and sprouts reduces the toxin content by up to 90 percent.

    frequently asked Questions

    What is solanine?

    Solanine is the most common alkaloid found in potatoes. This is a secondary plant ingredient that is contained in nightshade plants and acts as a defense against predators and pathogens. The highest concentration of the toxin is in the shell, eyes and sprouts. Important identifying features for solanine are green spots on the tuber or a completely green skin. The alkaloid is extremely heat resistant and partially water soluble. Solanine is released into the water when it is boiled.

    What is the risk of solanine poisoning after eating green potatoes?

    In the past 100 years, only a few cases of poisoning as a result of solanine have been known and documented. Experts interpret this as an indication that the distinctively bitter taste of glycoalkaloids usually prevents dangerous poisoning. However, it is also conceivable that there is a not inconsiderable number of unreported cases as a result of non-specific symptoms. On this basis, the risk of solanine poisoning from eating green potatoes can be rated as low.

    What does the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommend with regard to the solanine content in potatoes?

    The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) recommends that consumers always store potatoes in a dark, cool and dry place. Tubers with a green skin, green spots and sprouts are not suitable for consumption. Isolated green areas can be cut out. Children should only eat peeled potatoes. Potato dishes with a bitter taste belong in the trash can. Potato cooking water should not be reused. It is also advisable to change the deep-frying fat for potato dishes regularly.

    Are Green Potatoes Still Toxic When Cooked?

    Unfortunately, cooking does not make green potatoes edible. Solanine and other toxic glycoalkaloids are tough. Boiling hot water has little or no effect on the high concentration of harmful substances in the peel, green spots and germs. A gradual dissolution process only begins at a temperature of more than 240° Celsius.

    I often find tubers with a green skin in the potato sack. Can I peel and eat these potatoes or should I throw them away?

    For your health and that of your family, we recommend throwing away potatoes with large areas of green skin. The green color signals prolonged, unfavorable exposure to light and heat. As a result, a high concentration of potato alkaloids has built up in the tubers. Specimens with isolated green spots can be generously peeled and cut out. You should fry slightly green potatoes after pre-treatment, because most of the remaining toxins are dissolved in the hot fat.

    Can green potatoes ripen?

    If bad weather forces the home gardener to harvest potatoes early, green tubers sneak in between. Understandably, discarding green, solanine-contaminated potatoes makes a gardener's heart bleed after all the hassle of growing and caring for them. Unfortunately, you are not spared the grief, because potatoes cannot ripen like apples, plums or pumpkins. On the contrary, the poison content increases the longer the tubers are exposed to light and heat.

    Do other edible nightshades also contain toxic solanine when the fruits are green?

    A worrying concentration of solanine in green fruits is characteristic of all edible nightshade plants. These include - in addition to potatoes - tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, chillies and goji berries. For example, in fully green tomatoes, the average solanine content is a whopping 32 milligrams per 100 grams, well within the dangerous range. The preparation usually changes little. More than 90 percent of the solanine concentration is retained in sweet and sour pickled green tomatoes.

    tips

    It belongs in the realm of fables that small potatoes contain fewer toxins than voluminous tubers. In fact, the concentration of toxins contained is inversely proportional to size. The smaller a potato, the higher the level of solanine and other toxins. When buying potatoes, always give preference to larger specimens and ignore miniature tubers.

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Vegetable garden