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Storing: Green potatoes
Subject: Green potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Rab Bruce (bannockburner at blueyonder.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 10:08:16 GMT
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Recently noticed that potatoes bought from supermarkets (Sainsbury's and Co-op) develop a green tinge at/just under the skin within a couple of days. Varies from pale green to almost bottle-green!I believe this may be poisonous - am I right, and if so, is it something that always happens and I've just not noticed it, or is it a recent thing?
From: Howard Larson (hblarson at NOSPAMcore.com)
Date: Wed, 02 Jun 2004 08:43:11 -0500
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The green color is chlorophyll caused by exposure to natural or flourescent light and is harmless. However, an alkaloid called solanine may also be present. This is potentially a problem for people sensitive to it. The concentration is limited to the skin and eyes or sprouts if present. Peeling will eliminate most if not all of the solanine. Cooking in water or steam will reduce the concentration by about half.

Greening of potatoes, especially those with light colored skins, has become common with the switch to transparent packaging materials. It can be prevented by avoiding exposure of the tubers to sunlight while growing and by avoiding exposure to light during distribution and storage.
From: sethra (azoblue at myrealboxDOT.com)
Date: Thu, 03 Jun 2004 00:50:41 GMT
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Rab Bruce wrote:
> Recently noticed that potatoes bought from supermarkets (Sainsbury's
> and Co-op) develop a green tinge at/just under the skin within a
> couple of days. Varies from pale green to almost bottle-green!
> I believe this may be poisonous -

Yes, they're poisonous -- do NOT consume the greenish parts -- peel the hell out of them or better yet, just use different potatoes.

Don't believe me, check it out for yourself.

There's this thing called Google... https://www.google.com/search?q=poison+green+potato
From: walamalacalucy at yahoo.co.uk (paula)
Date: 3 Jun 2004 01:39:19 -0700
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sethra wrote:
> Yes, they're poisonous -- do NOT consume the greenish parts -- peel the
> hell out of them or better yet, just use different potatoes.

years ago it was "proved" that eating green potatoes was linked to the birth defect of spina bifida. the poison in the potatoes was not killed by boiling them but the high heat of frying did kill the toxins. as spuds are not that expensive i would rather throw them away than eat green ones.
From: ant (ant_k at geocities.com.au)
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2004 11:13:57 +1000
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Keep spuds in a dark place, this helps to avoid them going green. Peel off all green before cooking them.
From: Liz (misnomer at shaw.ca)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 15:10:23 GMT
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Back in highschool (35 years ago) , our home economics teacher was talking about potatoes and how to prepare. She pulled out a potatoe and proceeded to peel it, then said, look this is green, there is only one thing to do with a green potatoe and that is throw it out - which she did.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 04 Jun 2004 15:32:49 GMT
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MisNomer wrote:
>Back in highschool (35 years ago) , our home economics teacher was talking
>about potatoes.

I suppose I can safely assume that you didn't graduate.

"high school" is two words.
From: Liz (misnomer at shaw.ca)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 18:29:01 GMT
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Sheldon wrote:
>I suppose I can safely assume that you didn't graduate.
>
>"high school" is two words.

lol... I failed typing. One didn't need that to graduate unless you were in the "non acedemic" classes.

take care
Liz
From: Larry Preuss (LPreuss at NocomNocast.net)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 15:03:34 -0400
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Sheldon wrote:
> I suppose I can safely assume that you didn't graduate.
>
> "high school" is two words.

I certainly agree with you in the usage, but it is of interest that Google has 323,000 entries for exact phrase highschool without words high or school.
From: Mark Thorson (nospam at sonic.net)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 19:41:59 GMT
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Larry Preuss wrote:
> I certainly agree with you in the usage, but it is of interest that Google
> has 323,000 entries for exact phrase highschool without words high or
> school.

It also has 18,800 hits for "incompetant". It always amuses me when I see someone spelling it that way, especially when talking about other people.
From: penmart01 at aol.como (Sheldon)
Date: 04 Jun 2004 19:51:05 GMT
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Larrwy Preuss sputtered:
>I certainly agree with you in the usage,

Good... then shut the fuck up lest you make yourself yet more a fool, imbecile.
From: Larry Preuss (LPreuss at NocomNocast.net)
Date: Fri, 04 Jun 2004 16:17:49 -0400
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Sheldon wrote:
> Good... then shut the fuck up lest you make yourself yet more a fool, imbecile.

To insult me if I disagreed would perhaps be understandable, but to insult me when I agree is taking foolish chances. Remember, Shelley, that long, long ago in a newsgroup far away it became obvious that you have neither the weight nor the wit to trade pleasantries with me. I am willing to drop this now, but if you are simply in the game to give me pleasure in the play of it, lay on.

Larry (remember me?)
From: texpat (texpat at cox.net)
Date: Sat, 5 Jun 2004 14:15:44 -0500
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I was taught that it was sufficient to remove all traces of green from potatoes; I've been doing that for 50 years with no adverse effects.
From: Dave Smith (adavid.smith at sympatico.ca)
Date: Sat, 05 Jun 2004 16:43:37 -0400
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MisNomer wrote:
> Back in highschool (35 years ago) , our home economics teacher was talking about
> potatoes and how to prepare. She pulled out a potatoe and proceeded to peel it,
> then said, look this is green, there is only one thing to do with a green
> potatoe and that is throw it out - which she did.

How sad that someone taching a subject would be so ill informed. There is a substance in the skin of green potatoes that is mildly toxic, but all you have to do is to peel off the skin and the potato is quite edible.
From: Kajikit (kaji at labyrinth.net.au)
Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:25:39 +1000
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Rab Bruce had something important to tell us:
>Recently noticed that potatoes bought from supermarkets (Sainsbury's and
>Co-op) develop a green tinge at/just under the skin within a couple of
>days. Varies from pale green to almost bottle-green!
>I believe this may be poisonous - am I right, and if so, is it something
>that always happens and I've just not noticed it, or is it a recent thing?

I prefer to be safe than sorry. If the potato is just lightly greening then a double-peeling will take care of it. If it's a little more green than that I'll cut off the end with the green. And if it's green all over then I'll toss it in the trash.

The best way to avoid greening is to store the potatoes in a cool dark place as soon as you get them home - the greenness is a reaction to light. And don't keep them in the plastic bag or they'll sweat and go yucky.