Can i eat potatoes that have started to sprout

As a potato sprouts, it converts starch to sugar in order to feed the new potato plant that will grow from the erupting sprouts. At the beginning of this process, you may find soft spots around what used to be the eyes and are now the sprouts.

Simply remove the sprouts and any soft spots, and your potato should be fine to use in a recipe. As the sprouting process progresses, the potato begins to shrivel, as more and more starch is converted to sugar and used in the growing sprouts. A wrinkled, shriveled, sprouted potato will have lost more of its nutrients, and it won't be very palatable.

Avoid eating shriveled or wrinkled potatoes. Solanine and chaconine, two types of natural toxins known as glycoalkaloids, are present in potato plants. They're most concentrated in the eyes, sprouts, and skin, but not the rest of the potato.

These compounds are toxic to humans and can lead to a headache, vomiting, and other digestive symptoms. As long as you remove the eyes, sprouts, and skin, you're unlikely to feel any ill effects. Additionally, if your potato has green skin, be sure to peel it before you eat it. Don't let this warning scare you off potatoes: You'd have to eat a lot of sprouts and green skins to make yourself sick. It's essential to keep your potatoes in a cool, dry, and dark place if you're going to store them for a long time.

Keep potatoes away from onions , which will cause them to sprout faster. If this is the case, the toxic area will turn green. You can cut the green part off and eat the rest of the potato. When buying potatoes, pick firm ones and do not buy if they have sprouted or have a green tint to the skin.

As for storing, keep potatoes in a cool dry spot for longest storage. Now that you're in-the-know, get cooking with some of Rach's tastiest potato recipes! Top image courtesy of The Rachael Ray Show. See what all the buzz is about! Shop our best-selling products. Previous Next. Before you go and grab that sprouted potato to whip up some french fries , there's definitely more you need to know here.

After it starts to shrivel and the texture becomes a little squishy, you should probably ditch it. It should be noted that the National Capital Poison Center recommends tossing sprouted potatoes, due to risk of potential toxicity. To throw a little science at you, potatoes contain two types of natural toxins known as glycoalkaloids — solanine and chaconine. These glycoalkaloids are at levels low enough that they're harmless in a potato that hasn't begun to sprout and turn green.