By Leah Brickley for Food Network Kitchen

The brusque respond is yep. Potatoes that have sprouted are all the same OK to eat, but only one time you've removed the sprouts. Hither's a guide on how to remove them, how to properly shop potatoes and when information technology's not alright to eat them.

Why do potatoes sprout?

Potatoes don't need dirt — sometimes storage conditions inspire your spuds to start sprouting far from the ground! All they demand is darkness and moisture — making your kitchen or pantry an ideal identify to start growing "eyes." Simply these extra appendages don't hateful you lot have to trash your taters — if they are all the same firm when you lot clasp them, the potatoes can be eaten — once y'all've removed the sprouts and cooked the potatoes.

How to use a peeler to remove sprouts

Plucking off the sprouts is like shooting fish in a barrel because your vegetable peeler has a secret: Whether it'south old-school or Y-shaped, information technology was built to remove sprouts and brown spots. Utilise the intentional scoop-shaped tip of a regular peeler to dig out sprouts. Or the plastic tab on the side of your Y peeler to do the same.

So, what's happening when potatoes plough green?

Lesser line: green = garbage can. Exposure to light puts potatoes into chlorophyll-making (a greenish pigment) overdrive. Merely chlorophyll isn't the problem: These sunny weather also brand it possible for opportunistic glycoalkaloid toxins to thrive, which are dangerous.

What'south the best mode to store potatoes?

Potatoes volition continue upwardly to ii months from purchase if stored correctly. Transfer them to a breathable pocketbook — similar newspaper or mesh — or put them in a cardboard box and stash in a cool, dry out place. A basement is ideal. Your kitchen and pantry are probably as well warm, which will make them start to sprout.

Don't store potatoes in the fridge: Those actress-cool weather will trigger their starches to catechumen to sugars, which ways sweeter potatoes (no, non sweet potatoes!) that will turn brown when cooked.

To Summarize

Practise Non consume if your taters are:

  • Soft, squishy or wrinkly
  • Light-green in color on the outside or under the skin
  • Rotten and/or smelly

You're articulate to prep, cook and consume if those potatoes are:

  • Firm when squeezed
  • Ordinarily colored, with no green tint
  • Sprouted — simply dig out the sprouts with a peeler

Almost every way to bask a potato: