| |
Dangerous Shoots
Are potato shoots really dangerous? And sweet potato shoots? Yes, when the potato goes green or starts sprouting you shouldn't eat it as it contains solanine, a poisonous alkaloid and solanidine. In order to delay this for as long as possible, storage is fundamental: in a dimly lit dry place, not too cold (potatoes freeze below 2°C, so somewhere between 2°C and 8°C is ideal); in heaps no higher than 50 cm. Complete darkness should be avoided as the potatoes will sprout as soon as they reach a higher temperature, while strong light makes them go green. Sweet potato sprouts too are harmful to humans and animals. Sweet potato conservation is more complicated: the ideal temperature is between 8° and 10°C, constant. Over 15°C sweet potatoes begin to sprout, ferment and become rotten.
(16/06/2006)
print
|
 |
|
|
|
