Sprouted Potatoes: Are They Safe to Eat?

Potatoes
Photo by Hai Nguyen on Unsplash

Finding sprouted potatoes in your pantry isn’t all that uncommon, especially in spring. Temperatures are on the rise, which creates the perfect atmosphere for potatoes to develop sprouts, especially if they are not stored properly. It can even happen that you buy some potatoes at the grocery store and come home only to discover some of them already sprouted. The question that most people have is whether it’s safe to eat sprouted potatoes.

Sprouted Potatoes Are Safe To Eat Under One Condition

You can safely eat sprouted potatoes, according to Potato USA. However, before cooking them, you should cut away the sprouts and green areas on the potato. Also, they recommend checking the potato for signs of spoilage. If the potato is soft, you should discard it.

Tips for Storing Potatoes

If you want to avoid sprouts altogether, you should store your potatoes in a cool and dark place. Avoid storing them near appliances or areas where the temperatures can be higher, like below the sink.

Potato USA also recommends storing potatoes in a way that fresh air can reach them. You shouldn’t use sealed containers and instead put them in bags with holes.