Raw potatoes

I did a quick Google search, and all the sites I looked at said that it is fine to eat raw potato (but trim off any green areas first - these can be poisonous).

Raw potatoes are fine to eat but it's best to avoid eating any green bits because they can contain high levels of glycalkaloids, which are natural toxins.

Glycoalkaloids are usually found in potatoes at low levels but in higher levels in the green parts, damaged areas (i.e. spongy of soft) and spouts (eyes).

Very high levels of these toxins can cause abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. But when was the last time you heard of potato poisoning – it’s quite rare?


Store your spuds in a dark, cool, dry place (not the fridge) to avoid them producing the high levels of glycoalkaloids.


Don’t eat any damaged, green or sprouted parts. If the potatoes still taste bitter (nature’s way of saying ‘warning, don’t eat’), after you've removed these bits, it's best to chuck them.


If should be noted though that potatoes are starch so are not considered a vegetable in your quota of daily veggies, also they have a high GI which is not so good for someone with high blood sugar/diabetes.

shorty> don't bother to answer so many questions anymore, too many repeats. But the recipe section is not repetitive. Although it does make me feel hungry sometimes!


rititt> back when I was at school we learnt "Domestic Science"; basically, cookery and washing up. LOL! So I've never made a cake from a mix. In the UK (where I am from), many kids have no idea that chips (as in fish and chips) come from potatoes. So although there aren't silly questions like "where to chips come from" here, many people never had the opportunity to learn the things about cooking and food I sometimes take for granted. I'm happy to pass this info on.

Claire, DS really did give us a good foundation for preparing food, didn't it? Don't think I'll forget how to make sauces, bread, cakes etc. and I loved every lesson - except for the ones at the end of each term which were devoted to scrubbing all the pots, pans and baking trays...



Back to potatoes: I've just found that my microwave oven is a good place to store them (obviously, when it's not in use!). It's dark and fairly dry and this slows down the sprouting/going green process - something that used to happen too rapidly when I kept them in a bowl in the kitchen. Stashing potatoes in the 'fridge is not a good idea as the cold conditions cause the starch to change its structure, which will give poor results when frying or mashing them.