Potatoes are one of those foods that are truly the backbone of society. Similar to other staples like rice and corn, they become the ever important backdrop to many delicious meals. French fries, mashed potatoes, scalloped, hash browns, tater tots, baked potatoes, potato wedges – they are delicious, packed full of nutrients, and have been keeping people fed for hundreds of years. The best part? They are inexpensive and easy to prepare. What do you do, however, when you go to grab some potatoes from the bag only to find that they’ve got some suspicious green spots on them? This is everything you need to know about green potatoes and whether or not they are safe to eat.
Why Do Potatoes Turn Green?
We’ve probably all seen green potatoes a few times, or at least potatoes that have some green spots on them. Few of us, however, actually know the real reason why this occurs. Potatoes, which are grown underground and don’t normally see sunlight, turn green when exposed to light. This exposure to light causes the production of chlorophyll, a green pigment found in many plants. This natural process is a result of the potatoes’ response to light, and it can occur in both light and dark-skinned potatoes.
The Presence of Toxins
This presence of chlorophyll is probably sounding fairly harmless to you. After all, you can purchase chlorophyll-based drinks and supplements. This pigment is supposed to be really good for your health, right? While the green color itself is harmless and, yes, chlorophyll is good for you, it can also signal the presence of a toxic plant compound called solanine. This toxin is produced in higher levels when potatoes are exposed to light, damaged, or stored improperly. The link between these two things is sunlight. Sunlight causes chlorophyll to be produced, but it also causes solanine. The handy part here is that you can see the chlorophyll, whereas you can’t see the solanine.
Are Green Potatoes Harmful to Humans?
This is just the thing: Potatoes that have green spots may contain higher levels of solanine. Solanine can cause problematic digestive symptoms if consumed in large amounts. Just because a potato has green spots on it, doesn’t mean that it contains solanine, but really, why take the risk? The glycoalkaloids in potatoes, such as solanine, can be toxic to humans, but reports of serious illness from consuming green potatoes are rare.
How Much Solanine is Too Much?
As already mentioned, solanine can be toxic if consumed in too-high amounts. This is especially important for children as well as potentially elderly people and pregnant women. Many countries have rules in place to limit the sale of potatoes containing high levels of solanine. Consuming very high levels of solanine can lead to symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and in extreme cases, can even be fatal. For this reason, it is not recommended to eat them, even just a little bit. It is hard to tell how much solanine is in a potato, and with so many ways to ‘get around’ the green potato problem, it’s best to just avoid them.
Making Green Potatoes Safe to Eat
Naturally, if a potato is fully green or at least seems to have more green spots than non-green spots, you may want to consider tossing that tater. That being said, if there are just a few spots, and if they are only really skin deep, then they might be just fine. Peeling and trimming green areas of potatoes can significantly reduce solanine levels and make them safe to eat when prepared properly. Cut around the green spots and cut them out and you should be fine. While eating the potatoes, the taste can also tip you off to their solanine content. A bitter taste in cooked potatoes can indicate high solanine levels, even if the potato does not appear green. In this instance, you may want to just throw that dish out, as sad as that will be, and eat something else. Again, this is especially important if you are feeding it to children or are pregnant.
Preventing Potatoes from Turning Green
Of course, the best way to prevent green potatoes and therefore also the potential development of solanine is to store them properly. Proper storage in a cool, dark place is essential to prevent potatoes from turning green. Again, this is because exposure to light and improper temperatures can stimulate the production of solanine. Potatoes need to be kept in cool, dry, dark spaces. Too warm will cause them to spoil, as will too much moisture, and the sun will cause them to go green.
The Bottom Line
While green potatoes are generally safe to eat when prepared correctly, it is important to be aware of the potential presence of solanine and take appropriate precautions. Proper storage, inspection, and preparation can help mitigate the risk of consuming harmful levels of solanine from green potatoes. By properly peeling, trimming, and inspecting potatoes, along with storing them in suitable conditions, consumers can enjoy the nutritional benefits of potatoes while minimizing the potential health risks associated with solanine.
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