Potatoes are delicious and can be eaten sautéed with other fruits and vegetables. You can peel them or leave the skin on, steam them, or fry them. But what happens when they start to sprout? Find out whether they are still safe to eat.

In gratins with their tender flesh, sliced, fried, steamed, or served with raclette, potatoes can be incredibly tasty. However, these tubers sometimes begin to sprout, which can create problems in the kitchen. Fortunately, there is a solution that allows you to still consume this food, which has a moderate glycemic index.

What Should You Do if Potatoes Have Sprouted?

Whether in salads or sautéed dishes, every variety of potato can enhance your meals. If you enjoy gardening, you can even grow them in your own vegetable garden and harvest large quantities at home. These highly nutritious foods pair perfectly with dishes such as roasted meat.

Sometimes, if potatoes have been left unused for a long time, a sprout may appear. Don’t worry—you can still cook them in some cases. According to Aurélie Guerri, a dietitian-nutritionist at Doctissimo:

“If the sprouts are few and the potato is still firm, it is still possible to remove the sprouts and the green skin in order to consume it.”

To do this, peel the potatoes, cut them in half, and remove the sprout, which should be discarded. This step is important because sprouted potatoes contain solanine, a toxin that can cause headaches, vomiting, and digestive disorders.

When Is the Tuber No Longer Safe to Eat?

If potatoes have been poorly stored, they may become completely unsuitable for consumption. This is especially the case when you see many long sprouts that no longer resemble small buds.

At that point, the potato—whether new or another variety—may also be wilted or floury inside. Eating heavily sprouted potatoes with visible roots can expose you to risks such as diarrhea and indigestion. Boiling them will not make them safe—they may still be harmful to your health.

Fortunately, even these toxin-filled tubers can still be reused in other ways.

How to Recycle Sprouted Potatoes

If the sprouts have grown several centimeters long, you can use the potatoes for purposes other than cooking. For example, they can be used to make a homemade household cleaner, stain remover, or whitening agent, helping to reduce waste.

Most potato varieties contain starch, a compound with natural whitening and degreasing properties.

To use them for cleaning:

1. Boil the potatoes.

2. Collect the cooking water.

3. Let the liquid cool.

This liquid can then be used as a homemade cleaning product. It can help scrub surfaces and remove stubborn stains using a cloth or mop. It’s an effective, economical, and environmentally friendly cleaning solution.

What Are the Particularities of Growing Potatoes?

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