Potato freshness

[RPCookin]

It's more that we support very different causes. When I tell my friends what a hard time I am getting here for liking and defending organic food, they cannot believe it!

With apologies to kitchengoddess8 for going off topic.

Organic isn't automatically better. I'm sorry if that opinion goes against what you believe, but we all have a right to our own opinion. My parents lived well into their 80's (Mom passed just 1 month short of her 90th birthday) and my father-in-law is nearly 93 and still going strong on plain old supermarket fare. I view organic foods mostly as a way to separate me from more of my hard earned money. I am not willing to pay the premium for zero or marginal benefit.

 

[creative]

Organic isn't automatically better. I'm sorry if that opinion goes against what you believe, but we all have a right to our own opinion. My parents lived well into their 80's (Mom passed just 1 month short of her 90th birthday) and my father-in-law is nearly 93 and still going strong on plain old supermarket fare. I view organic foods mostly as a way to separate me from more of my hard earned money. I am not willing to pay the premium for zero or marginal benefit.

Yes there are those who just see the price tag and not the quality.... Also I do realise that not everyone is in a position to afford organic.

I am not trying to say everyone should go organic! Rather I have been given a hard time
for saying that I prefer it....and have been forced into defending it - see the difference?
I prefer food to be as near natural as possible...so kill me now!

Anyway I am pleased with my decision that no longer subjects me to hostile, attacking encounters.
What a relief to be freeee of all that now!

 

[GotGarlic]

To be clear, I don't care about your preferences. There should be no issue with correcting misstatements of fact. That's not a personal attack.

 

[creative]

To be clear, I don't care about your preferences. There should be no issue with correcting misstatements of fact. That's not a personal attack.

Exactly...I could echo that back at you i.e. that there should be no issue with correcting misstatements of fact. I believe I managed to show you this re. your lack of knowledge recently concerning complimentary therapies, i.e. that they are integrated with orthodox medicine.

I have received supportive PMs concerning your interactions with my posts so the situation is clearly apparent here to many.

 

[Addie]

How do you remove the sprouts from a potato? Is there a special kitchen gadget for that?


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At the tip of most peelers, there is usually a little piece of the peeler that is shaped like a scoop. I use that to dig out the eyes or any bad spots I might find on the tater. That scoop is usually just a bit thinner than the rest of the peeler and thus acts like a knife.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

At the tip of most peelers, there is usually a little piece of the peeler that is shaped like a scoop. I use that to dig out the eyes or any bad spots I might find on the tater. That scoop is usually just a bit thinner than the rest of the peeler and thus acts like a knife.

Thanks Addie. The top of the peeler I have has a plastic pointed scoop. I'm wondering if a metal one would be better.



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[Cooking Goddess]

Don't overthink this, kg. If GG and I find thumbnails work, no reason to think that a metal peeler tip would work better than plastic.

 

[RPCookin]

Thanks Addie. The top of the peeler I have has a plastic pointed scoop. I'm wondering if a metal one would be better.



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Don't overthink this, kg. If GG and I find thumbnails work, no reason to think that a metal peeler tip would work better than plastic.

The plastic one on my Oxo peeler works just fine, although I don't use it a lot.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Yes, I was about to say that, too.

The following info comes from the The Food Safety Authority of Ireland website:

"Whilst not acutely toxic in humans, there are a number of reports suggesting that ingestion of potatoes containing high levels of glycoalkaloids have led to poisoning incidents where the main symptoms displayed are irritation of the gut and also drowsiness. These symptoms have also been shown at high doses of glycoalkaloids in controlled experiments using human volunteers."

It also says that there is no connection between expectant mothers consuming green potatoes and the incidence of spina bifida in their babies (there was a scare about this a long time ago).

The green color is simple chlorophyll and is harmless to humans. However, the chlorophyll is an indicator that chemical reactions are taking place. The glycoalkaloids are formed as the potato begins to sprout. The green color is the result of photosynthesis as the chlorophyll uses sunlight to power the reactions. The result is mild to severe poisoning, depending on how far developed new growth is, that is, how close it is to actually sprouting. Remember, potatoes are in the night shade family. All the green parts are poisonous. To keep spuds from trying to grow, simply keep them in a cool-dark area.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[rodentraiser]

I know whenever I peel potatoes and I see green, I take it off. But many times I will bake or boil potatoes in the skin and eat them like this, and I know some of them must have had green under the skin. So in that case, should I not be eating them then?

And I still don't understand this "cool, dark place" where we're supposed to store potatoes. Cool and dark is the vegetable drawer in my fridge but I'm always being told not to put potatoes in the fridge.

 

[GotGarlic]

If they don't taste bitter, there probably isn't enough of the substance there to hurt you.

I have a hard time keeping them cool as well, but I don't have too much of a problem with them sprouting. The refrigerator is cold, not cool. The ideal temperature is in the 50s. That's why people keep them in a root cellar, if they have one.

I keep my potatoes in a basket built in to the peninsula in kitchen. It's fairly dark but room temperature.

You could keep them in a paper bag to keep the light off them.

 

[rodentraiser]

Right now they're living in the cupboard and getting in the way every time I want to take bowl or plate out. I never thought about paper bags. Although now that I think of it, my kitchen is always as dark as a morgue anyway, so I don't know why I was worrying.

 

[liliedu13]

Huummm i love poatatoes is so delicious

 

[Addie]

Edible but probably losing it's "goodness" as it's using it to grow the roots.

If I see roots starting to grow, I just knock them off with my fingers. I have no 'dark' place in my kitchen to store them, so I keep them in the fridge. The top part.

We all know that cold air falls and the warmer air rises. So I keep them in the top. Takes quite a while for the roots to appear as to being in the produce drawer at the bottom.

 

[rodentraiser]

Potatoes in paper bags in the fridge. I'm going to have to try that.

I started throwing my onions in a vegetable drawer and they don't seem to be any the worse for it.

 

[GotGarlic]

Potatoes in paper bags in the fridge. I'm going to have to try that.

I started throwing my onions in a vegetable drawer and they don't seem to be any the worse for it.

Refrigerating potatoes can cause the starch in them to turn to sugar. Not good eats, imo.

 

[Addie]

Potatoes in paper bags in the fridge. I'm going to have to try that.

I started throwing my onions in a vegetable drawer and they don't seem to be any the worse for it.

What I love about the paper bag is that on the front is a net and the potatoes can breath. Nothing can breathe with plastic.

 

[rodentraiser]

Refrigerating potatoes can cause the starch in them to turn to sugar. Not good eats, imo.

*reconsidering potatoes in fridge*

 

[GotGarlic]

*reconsidering potatoes in fridge*

 

[Mad Cook]

There was a study (in the 1970s?) which purported to show a link between eating green potatoes when pregnant and an increased risk of the baby contracting spina bifida but other studies showed no connection. You pays your money and you takes your choice.