A reader asks if green potatoes from the grocery store are unripe. Find out if eating green potatoes will make you sick.
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Are Green Potatoes Unripe?
“Some potatoes I buy in the grocery store are still green beneath the brown skin. Why are they green? Do green potatoes need additional time to ripen after they have been removed from the ground?” asks Birds & Blooms reader B.J. Fox of Greenbrier, Arkansas.
Horticultural expert Melinda Myers says, “Potatoes develop green areas when exposed to sunlight. This is why we mulch or hill potatoes in the garden to keep the tubers in the dark and store harvested potatoes in a cool, dark location.”
Learn how to grow potatoes in a vegetable garden.
Will Green Potatoes Make You Sick?
“The green areas and sprouts contain solanine. This substance gives potatoes a bitter flavor and can cause vomiting and diarrhea if enough of the potatoes are eaten,” Melinda says. “The bitter flavor usually prevents people from eating enough to make them sick.”
Check out the top 10 easy vegetables to grow.
Can You Cook or Eat Green Potatoes?
“Removing the green skin and cutting away small green spots and any sprouts gets rid of much of the toxin. Cooking the potato removes it even more,” Melinda says. “If the potato still tastes bitter or causes a burning sensation in your mouth, it is best to discard it.”
Read on to find out if you should grow hybrid or heirloom tomatoes.
About the Expert
Melinda Myers is the official gardening expert for Birds & Blooms. She is a TV/radio host, author and columnist who has written more than 20 gardening books. Melinda earned a master’s degree in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
