When potatoes are not stored correctly or stored for a long time, they can germinate and produce a kind of green and purple roots. In these cases, most people usually remove them and cook the tuber as normal, but is it a good idea? And what is more important, can consuming them like this put our health at risk? Miguel Ãngel Lurueña, a food technologist, has resolved these doubts on Twitter.
Through a thread, the expert has explained why these outbreaks appear. “A few years ago, the use of chlorpropham was prohibited, a substance that was used to prevent the germination of potatoes (some powder that was thrown on top), so now it is easier for sprouts to appear.” So that they do not germinate so quickly, the way of storing them is key. We must store them in a dark and cool place, “but not in the refrigerator,” advises Lurueña, in addition to avoiding a long time before eating them.
If we have not followed these tips and the potatoes have germinated, we must take into account that the flavor of the tuber will change, becoming sweeter. This happens because when the sprouts appear, the starch begins to break down into the sugars that make it up, the technologist clarifies.
Where is the problem? Some will think. Well, it turns out that if we fry or bake the potatoes in this state, those sugars will favor the Maillard reactions. “The potatoes turn dark during cooking and more acrylamide is formed, a potentially toxic compound,” continues Lurueña.
To avoid this risk, when our potatoes have sprouts and we are going to cook them, we can choose to cook them, a type of cooking that does not produce acrylamide. Another alternative, says the expert, is to fry or bake them for a short time or at a not very high temperature. “It is always advisable to avoid the formation of these brown colorations,” he concludes.
If instead of having sprouts, the potatoes turn green, it is not a good idea to eat them. The Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) recommends discarding them because this coloration is due to the appearance of solanine, a glycoalkaloid with a bitter taste and toxic properties.
According to this body, the intake of glycoalkaloids can cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. To reduce the risk of poisoning, the OCU has shared several practical ideas to avoid or reduce its presence in potatoes. They are the following:
