Green Potatoes

Green potatoes are not a new type of potato. Any potato can turn green and is not exactly a good thing. Potatoes are one of the most popular vegetables in the world. Only a few crops are cultivated more than potatoes. 

Since potatoes are an essential part of people’s diet in many countries; assuring a good quality product is very important. 

A potato that has a green color is not exactly what you would like to encounter in your crops. The green color does not mean that the potato is too new and needs more time to be fully grown.

Green potatoes do not refer to the small green spot that sometimes potatoes have. 

This green pigmentation is a signal that the potato might poison you if you eat it. The green color is just under the skin and covers the whole potato. Like in many vegetables there are certain areas of the potato tuber that you should not eat. The sprouts or eyes in the potatoes should not be eaten under any conditions. There are toxins that accumulate precisely in those areas of the potato. That green under the skin is a result of chlorophyll.

Chlorophyll is the substance that makes all plants green but that chemical is not the one that is dangerous. 

A potato with the green color means it has been exposed to sunlight for too long. 

When the chlorophyll is synthesized in the potato plant there are other reactions that are the ones that cause problems. These reactions create a toxin called solanine. This compound can be very harmful for the human body if it is ingested in big amounts. The presence of high amounts of chlorophyll under the skin of the potato generally indicates high concentrations of solanine in the potato.

Solanine can cause nausea, vomiting, confusion, convulsions and in the most extreme cases death. People that are in higher risk of poisoning are children, people over the age of 60, pregnant women and people suffering from illnesses. There are many alternatives to prevent problems with green potatoes. 

Before cooking any potato; cut all sprouts then check for any green coloring under the skin as you peel them.

A potato with only a couple of green spots can be either cooked after cutting the green areas or you can get rid of it if you feel is too risky. 

Once is cooked if you feel a bitter taste just throw it away.

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