Possibly I am an idiot here, as a whole lot of people seem to think its ok to cut out the sprouts and use them anyway?
I was raised that basically once they start sprouting, at that point you should be planting them, not eating them.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/sprouted-potato
As a potato sprouts, its glycoalkaloid content begins to rise. Therefore, eating potatoes that have sprouted can cause you to ingest excessive amounts of these compounds. Symptoms typically appear within a few hours to up to 1 day after eating the sprouted potatoes.
At lower doses, excess glycoalkaloid consumption typically leads to vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. When consumed in larger amounts, they can cause low blood pressure, a rapid pulse, fever, headaches, confusion, and in some cases, even death (1, 2).
I’m not a doctor or dietician or chemist or potatologist and I have no idea if this is BS, and it seems like there is fairly widespread … mixed opinions on this, but these here doctors say eating sprouting potatoes can make you sick, even if you cut out the sprouts.
I think it’s a conspiracy by big potato to make you buy more potatoes
Seriously though, I guess the amount of toxic shit at the early sprouting phase is so low that it’s exceedingly rare for anyone to get sick from it… But high enough that you shouldn’t do it? Idk
The toxins are concentrated around the eyes so if you cut them out thoroughly enough and it’s just barely sprouted it’s probably fine.
If you don’t cut them out or it’s very thoroughly sprouted you will be more likely to get sick.
It also depends on how sensitive your stomach is.
Maybe the glycoalkaloid content differs between potatoe sorts? I have used sprouted potatoes my whole life without any issues whatsoever. Might have been just lucky that our potatoes are low on glycoalkakoids?
Ok – this is the official statement of the German Federal Agency for Risk Assessment.
TL;DR
- there have been only a couple of reports of glycoalkaloid poisoning through potatoe consumption during the last 100 years.
- sprouts, green parts and the skin of potatoes contain glycoalcaloids.
- cooking reduces glycoalcaloids.
- peeled and cooked potatoes are safe to eat.
Culinary preferences might make the difference: in Germany potatoes are eaten peeled = very low risk of poisoning, while my Canadian host family ate potatoes with their skin = slightly higher risk of poisoning, especially if you cut out sprouts but leave the skin.
