White Monkey wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> "Everybody knows" that sprouting potatoes are poisonous. But what degree is
> "sprouting"? I have one here, a large blue truffle potato, from each eye of
> which was growing a 1/2 cm long cluster of sprouts. I scraped them off and
> dug out the first few mm of flesh under them, and the potato under there
> looks fine. Is this safe to cook with, specifically boiling and cubing it
> for use in a leftover-lamb-roast pie? Is it only safe for adult-type humans?
> I'm breastfeeding a six-month-old; does that make any difference, or are we
> talking a strictly safe potato here?
>
> Thanks,
> Katrina
>
>


Sunscalded potatoes that have turned green are poisonous (the poison is
called solanine.) The green color is actually chlorophyl, which is
harmless, but it forms at the same time as solanine. Cooking destroys
about a third of the solanine. I would not eat potato sprouts, but you
said the sprouts are only .5 cm and you cut them off. I don't see a
problem unless the potato was green. I eat slightly sprouted potatoes
all the time with no ill effects at all, but I always peel them if they
are sprouted.

That being said, solanine is fat-soluble, so I supposed it could be
transmitted in breast milk, but probably not in dangerous levels. It's
just a potato; if you are concerned at all (and you are, otherwise you
wouldn't have written here) throw it out, or let someone else eat it, or
pick around the potatoes when you eat the pie. Your gonna have to make
your own risk assessment and decision.

I would peel it and eat it and try to find something else to worry about ;-)

Bob