Why do potato skins turn green if they are dangerous?
Julie Garden-Robinson is a professor and food and nutrition specialist at North Dakota State University.
A medium-sized potato has no cholesterol or salt.A medium tuber provides 18 percent of the Daily Value, or %DV, when eaten with the skin.
Storage time depends on the variety and the conditions.Sometimes your potatoes don't last as long as you want them to.Tubers can be overcome with a variety of diseases.
When potatoes are exposed to sunlight, they turn green.The green comes from a plant.As the potato plant seeks to harvest the light, it will become green.
Potato varieties are sensitive to light.White-skinned varieties tend to turn green more quickly than red and russet varieties.
The green of potato tuber's should signal us to be aware of a substance that is forming inside of them.Solanine is formed when any part of a potato plant is exposed to light.
Solanine is a toxic substance that is produced naturally in potatoes and other plants.The sprout, roots, leaves, flowers and fruits of the potato plant contain solanine.
If you eat a lot of solanine, you can experience stomach symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea.In extreme cases, it can cause illness or even death.Most people don't eat enough to get sick because of the bitter taste.Consumers should avoid eating sprout.
Small tuber sprout contain the highest levels of solanine to protect new growth.If there are tubers, remove them prior to consumption.
Don't expose them to light to keep them from turning green.Before purchasing potato tuber, check for green coloring.
It is possible to prevent potatoes from turning green by storing them in a dark area with good air circulation and high humidity.45 to 50 F with 90 to 95 percent relative humidity and darkness is the ideal environment for storing potato tubers.Try to find similar conditions for long-term storage even though they aren't found in homes.
You can store potatoes in a cellar.Keep them away from warm places, such as around appliances that are giving off heat.Potato tubers can be stored in a paper bag or cupboard.
Stresses such as light, cold, heat or injury to the tuber will promote the production of solanine.Proper storage and handling prevent potatoes from turning green.
If there are small areas of greening found in the tubers, use caution.Most of the toxin will be eliminated if the green portions are removed.
Throw the tuber away if more extensive greening occurs.tuber that is green under the skin should never be eaten.Other parts of the potato plant can be toxic if eaten.
Ensure there is enough soil around each plant.The mounding of soil around a potato plant is referred to as hilling because a small hill is built around the plant to provide enough soil to cover growing tubers.At the final hilling, a large hill would measure 3 feet wide by 1 to 1.25 feet tall.
The height is usually reduced by rain or irrigation.Hills are often made so high because of this.Potato plants need lots of soil around them to make sure they don't come in contact with light.
tuber can grow too close to the soil surface if hills are not large enough.There are some potato varieties that grow further away from the plant.It's important to keep the tubers covered with soil on a larger hill.
L.Clayton was born in 2004.Green potatoes cause concern.The University of Alaska has a Cooperative Extension Service.
Friedman, G.M.McDonald, M. Filadelfi-Keszi.1997.Potato glycoalkaloids include chemistry, analysis, safety, and plant physiology.Critical reviews in plant sciences