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.