Green Potato Recovery?

[MaggieM]

It's very near harvest time, and I noticed some green tubers aloft of the garden soil. There is still a smidgeon of time; I can wait a little while I think.

Question: Can I just bury them in dirt and wait awhile? Or should I just dig them up with the rest and compost them?

Thank you.

 

[Meadowlark]

You can use them as you would any other potato...just cut/peal off the green part...no green showing.

 

[zigs]

No no no.

The green part is just the tuber's response to sunlight, it's chlorophyl.

When the tuber is exposed to sunlight it produces solanine in all parts of the tuber, you can't see it but it will poison you if you eat it, even if you cut the green bit off

Throw it away.

 

[MaggieM]

Oh gosh, so I guess it's not a question of simply blanching, then. Do you think the solanine would break down acceptably in the compost pile?

 

[Durgan]

I usually eat if there is a small amount of solanine. I simply cut it off and use as normal. Not very often but certainly it doesn't kill me. It is not recommended.

 

[Tetters]

A bit of green potato didn`t kill @zigs when he ate the potato with a green bit on........ but he was very sick
Yes @MaggieM the solanine will break down in the compost heap, but the tuber will probably produce more potatoes on the heap.
Solanine , evidently, can cause miscarriages amongst other problems.

 

[zigs]

A bit of green potato didn`t kill @zigs when he ate the potato with a green bit on........ but he was very sick

I wasn't thinking and just cut off a very small green bit from a large tuber

It's a good way to loose weight very quickly