Sprouted potatoes that are still firm, have relatively small sprouts, and don't show any wrinkles or shriveling are okay to eat, as long as you cut off the sprouted parts and soft spots. However, there's still a chance you could get sick. If your potato is sprouted and shriveled up, then it's too far gone.
Check for soft spots, dark spots, sprouts, or green color. If the potato has little sprouts remove them, then prep potato for your dish. If there is a little green cut that off. If the potato has long spouts, is soft, wrinkled, or has lots of dark spots get rid of it.
Large sprouts, growths, and roots will not only be unpleasant to eat, but, in the worst cases, can also make you really sick. Symptoms of poisoning from solanine (the specific type of those harmful compounds found in spoiled potatoes) include everything from a fever and headache to a severely upset stomach.
Potatoes will start to sprout if they are kept in a warm area. Plant and gardening specialist Olivia Choong also advises against "storing potatoes in the fridge, as this turns the potatoes' starches into sugars.
You can place them in a bowl of water and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. This keeps them from turning brown. Is it okay to eat potatoes that are sprouting? Generally, it is okay to eat a sprouted potato as long as you remove the sprout before cooking.
Undoubtedly, the best way to store whole, uncooked potatoes is outside of the fridge. Storing potatoes in the fridge will cause the starch to turn to sugar, giving them a sweet flavor that you don't want from your potatoes.
Potatoes can last between 2-3 months after their best-before date, if they have been stored in a cold, dry, dark place. Potatoes stored at room temperate can last just 2 – 3 weeks.
Eating bad cooked potatoes may give you food poisoning.
If you eat a cooked potato that's too old, you may experience fever, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Thankfully, food poisoning usually subsides after a couple of days.
Do potatoes last longer in the fridge or on the counter? Potatoes are best kept around 45 to 50 degrees, which means they shouldn't be stored in the fridge or freezer. The best place to store them for maximum shelf life is a cool basement or garage—as long as it's dry.
If the potatoes are still firm and the skin is not green, yes, then you may certainly eat them. When you harvest them, inspect them for diseased looking tubers. If the potatoes appear fine, then yes, you can also use them to start new potatoes.
Results For slightly green or germinated potatoes, the content of solanine in potatoes was reduced by about 70%-80% after peeling and budding, soaking in water, vinegar or citric acid for 5-15 min.
Separate the sprouts by cutting away each sprout or group of sprouts, leaving a small amount of potato attached to the sprout. You'll want to plant your potato sprouts within 2-3 days of cutting. Ideally, you will want the skin to dry enough to seal out disease but not too much so that the sprouted parts dry up.
Not only will the potato not taste very good, you could risk getting sick. Bistrong explains, "As with any vegetable or ingredient, consuming it rotten could make you sick or unwell." As potatoes begin to break down, a compound called solanine increases.
What you see: Sprouts growing from your potato's “eyes.” What it is: The potato trying to grow new potatoes! But the sprout may have higher concentrations of toxins you don't want to eat.
Just curious – why are the sprouts called “eyes?” Dr. Douches: “The 'eyes' are really just the buds of the tuber. They just got that nickname long ago because they kind of look like eyes and an eyebrow.”
Solanine is concentrated mostly on the skin or sprouts of potatoes. This natural toxin in food plants acts as a natural pesticide. Consuming bad potatoes can cause solanine poisoning. Symptoms include headaches, vomiting, fever, stomach cramps, and difficulty in breathing.
Potato allergies or intolerances may upset the digestive system as the potato substances travel through the body. Symptoms of digestive issues caused by a potato allergy or intolerance include: nausea or vomiting.
A bitter taste in a potato is another – potentially more reliable – indicator of toxicity. Because of the bitter taste and appearance of such potatoes, solanine poisoning is rare outside conditions of food shortage.
Generally speaking, a raw potato can last from a few weeks up to several months, depending upon the temperature at which a person stores it. In the fridge, cooked potato can last for several days. In the freezer, it can last for up to a year.
Keep Potatoes in a Cool and Dry Environment
As previously explained, potatoes should be placed in a cardboard box, mesh bag, or basket to ensure good ventilation. Store your potatoes in a cool, dark place (45 to 50 F is the ideal temperature range), such as your pantry or unheated basement.
The main thing with eggs, is that you want them to remain at a constant temperature, otherwise they can become unsafe for consumption. Fluctuations in temperature can cause salmonella in eggs, so the best place to store eggs is the fridge. And in the main bit of the fridge, and not the door.
Storing potatoes the right way requires proper ventilation. Ziata recommends open containers (like open paper bags, baskets, and sacks), as these options will prevent excess moisture from accumulating. "Avoid airtight containers and sealed plastic bags, and never wash your potatoes before storing," she says.
Store in a Cool, Dry Place
For this reason, he says it's best to store onions in a cool, dry place like a cellar, pantry, or even a garage. While they can be stored whole in the fridge, Yee notes that this causes the onion to convert starch to sugar, and can result in soft or soggy onions.