You’ve probably heard of solanine. It is a substance present in many plant species that serves to protect potatoes from harmful insects and fungi. In practice, it is a poison, more precisely an alkaloid, but present in potatoes in very small quantities and therefore does not pose a great danger to the human body. But things change when the potatoes germinate, as higher amounts of solanine are concentrated directly on the shoot and in the part underneath.
At this point, the danger can become significant, especially if large quantities are consumed. The same danger exists when potatoes are eaten raw. Solanine is also found in eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes, but in all of these cases, the amount is minimal and decreases again when cooked.
How to Prevent Potatoes from Sprouting
Suppose you have bought healthy potatoes, with smooth and unwrinkled skin, i.e. a fresh tuber, not too old. These are already conditions that can make you quite calm. However, if you want to prevent the shoots from arriving later, just take a few small precautions:
- Place an apple between the potatoes and of course increase the number of apples if the amount of potatoes is too large (the ethylene in the apples prevents the potatoes from germinating).
- Use a suitable container that facilitates perspiration, yes to the wicker basket, no to plastic.
- Store potatoes in the dark, as light promotes the growth of shoots.
If the tubers in the supermarket have already sprouted, don’t buy them. If they germinate in a limited way in your home, remove the sprouts and the part underneath, but also all the green parts. Overall, it should not be thought that this represents such a serious danger. In fact, to get solanine food poisoning, an adult would have to eat at least three kilograms of raw potatoes or sprouts, which is very unlikely.