Content
- How poisonous are potatoes
- What makes the potato poisonous?
- Possible symptoms of intoxication
- Proper handling of the potato
- Tips & Tricks
How poisonous are potatoes
Even if raw salads are healthy and most of the vitamins are in the shell of fruits and vegetables, the potato has to be excluded. It is neither raw nor enjoyable with shell, as hide here toxic alkaloids.
What makes the potato poisonous?
Like all nightshades the potato contains poisonous alkaloids, in the case of the potato the solanine.
The natural poison protects the potato from pests, fungi and predators.
But what protects the tuber, harms humans and animals and can lead to severe symptoms of intoxication. This mainly concerns the consumption of raw and green potatoes.
Toxic solanine accumulates in the germs and eyes, in green areas and under the shell as well as in all aboveground plant parts. Especially the cranberries are very poisonous. In the pulp, the proportion of solanine is rather low and is reduced by cooking to a safe content.
If the potato is peeled and cooked, it is harmless to eat. By the way: Due to the Solanin the potato tastes unpleasantly bitter and so the eating of raw potatoes is actually impossible.
Possible symptoms of intoxication
While boiled potatoes are harmless, the risk of poisoning increases with the concentration of solanine and the amount of green spots. The darker the potato, the more poisonous it is. Children are particularly at risk, even small amounts of them are highly toxic. Possible symptoms of poisoning are:
Proper handling of the potato
When storing: Well stored potatoes contain only a little solanine. The ideal storage location is the cellar, where the potatoes can be stored dry, cool and dark. Heat and light would be the formation of germs and thus of solanine.
When peeling: potatoes must be peeled thoroughly. In front of all sprouted and green spots one cuts carefully away. Better throw away potatoes with several green spots.
When cooking: By cooking, part of the solanine passes over to the cooking water. Therefore, pour away the cooking water better, especially with boiled potatoes.
During the meal:
Tips & Tricks
If you do not want to give up your beloved jacket potatoes, you can make use of new potatoes. Their thin shell has saved less solanine. Peel potatoes after cooking anyway.