When it comes to green, the color itself is harmless but when you see a potato with green skin make sure, not to eat it as it has high levels of solanine or the phenomena named as ‘greening’. Around the eyes or sprouts green color is present though it is better to cut the sprouts even as the toxic concerns are there. It is better to cut the green part as eating a potato with green skin may cause headaches, gastro intestinal stress, vomit, diarrhea and neurological problems.
Green potatoes are irritant to digestive system that may also result in paralysis. Green potatoes are result of too much exposed light, which triggers the tubers to overproduce solanine alkaloid (a toxin). Having amount more than14mg/a00gm makes potatoes bitter in taste.
Solanine is the defensive mechanism of plant adopted for potato tubers to fight pests and diseases like early blight. Solanine is a fat fiber it can be reduces when you fried the potatoes. Well, it is a myth. The taste is tangy or sour due to the presence of alkaloid compounds.
It is better to throw it away once you found that your potato is not a normal potato rather a potato with green skin. Peeling can lessen the greening but not a solution throws it as it happy feed box i.e., tummy.
How Green Is Too Green For A Potato?
It is green if we applied to potato it depends. The terms of harvest seeds are already green while during or near harvest. the green is signaled by tubers to protect from being eaten. It is bitter in taste. The smaller one potatoes will be used to protect new growth.
Potatoes turning green indicates the chlorophyll content is raised as potato seeks light however some varieties have sensitivity to light. For example, white varieties turn green as well and other one is russet which shows less visible marks – skinned variety. Greening is affected by the three factors of light: duration, quality and intensity.
During the process of greening even the temperature is an important role as greening is an enzyme based process and it is increases in raise temperatures. As the enzyme based plant temperature increases the enzymatic activity also I crease. if you take time to shade the plants
Can You Plant Green Potatoes?
At seeds stage yes, you can. Mostly seeds are slightly green in color but because of the dust they might not show off that green. In fact, at this stage light is good for potato. Green sounds a happy green when potato is at a seed stage once the potato is mature green is a warning.
Seeds are chitted 6 weeks before plantation of potatoes. Once the chits grow shift them to cool and darker place. If no sprouting occurs, you can bring the seeds in light to let them get out of dormancy. Once they grow shift them back to darker places until the planting time. (Tip: you can also plant a sprouted potato within 2-3 inches of the soil, leaving 1ft distance for plantings).
How Toxic A Green Potato Is? How Much Amount Of Solanine In Our Body Shows Toxicity?
2-5mg of solanine in bodyweight of 1 kilogram can cause toxicity. However, 3-6mg of body weight if kilogram can cause death. However, the normal potatoes can have 8mg of total kilogram of potatoes. In severe cases it can cause congenital problems like spina bifidia and ancephally.
How To Fix Green Potatoes Tinge? Solutions Bay
Use of hilling is appreciable as if soil is having hill around (which is up to 1ft in length and 3ft in width) the growing tuber remains covered because of this mounding. Hilling should be longer or at height so that The potato tubers should be protected by hilling to remain intact in soil along with they need to minimize the light exposure so that crops will be able to give fruitful results. Some varieties have underground stolon or runners of potatoes.
Such potato tubers need to be covered and treated in soil to avoid the damage. Choose the varieties of potatoes that can grow deep and shallow. Fertilization cannot affect the potatoes. However, the application of nitrogen content is exceeding or applies lately can affect the solanine content. The immature tubers have observed to have the higher solanine content than the mature ones. Hill structures if wider or trapezoidal a flat crop row is ideal.
Ridges should be avoided if dry soil is nearby. Drought condition or dry conditions do not cause greening but the blow off can be trigger leading to cracking. If a potato turns green better to sought it out from others. You can also dip the potatoes with green skin in a vinegar solution. Applying straws to cover the potato is also a good option to protect from sunlight exposure directly.
Conclusion
The chlorophyll production in potato turned to green color of potatoes, which occurs in tubers potatoes and result to be toxic. To avoid solanine production it is better to store potatoes in cool and dark places and if you are going to eat cut away the poisonous green. The dosage that exceeds 2 – 5mg/kg body mass to deadly dose of 3-6mg body mass. Or slog you to plot in hospital. The symptoms may include gastrointestinal or neurological disorders.
So, it is better to keep the green out of potato. The high level solanine potato can be end up in compost pile. Solanine can be produced at any stage while growing, planting or even in storage point. As far as green color related to plantations is concerned it does not have anything to relate with the yield as you are not going to have the seeds by the end but a grown plant not the seed which you planted.
The phases change judiciously. While storing potatoes try to store them in a cool or humid place with dark shadows and proper air circulation.
Read my other post on Sustainable gardening ideas and farm hacks.
