NEVER eat Green Potatoes - What to do with them?

The potatoes we are are the tubers of the potato plant. 

The potato plant has an interesting way of protecting itself from insects, animals and fungi which attack it. It produces a chemical which falls in the family of glycoalkaloids. This chemical is toxic to insects, animal, fungi and even humans. These chemical can be found in  high levels in the leaves, stems and sprouts of the potato plant and are normally at very low levels in potato tubers.

But when potatoes come in contact with light, it starts turning green and the level of glycoalkaloids increases.  Green potatoes are toxic and should not be eaten. There are recorded deaths from eating green potatoes and miscarriages from eating a toxic spud.

So what to do if you bring home a whole bag of green potatoes?

If the potatoes were in a bag which you couldn't see through the packaging for colour (the bag was tinted colour or the bag was not transparent), you should try go back to the shop to get an exchange for a good bag.

If you can't get a refund, you can replant the potato and harvest next season! After all, the green in green potatoes are chlorophyll which absorbs light and turn into energy via photosynthesis. Potatoes are very easy to plant. Plant them about 10-20 cm deep in well fertilized soil. Just to remember, potatoes don't grow well in winter. And you should be able to harvest in 16 weeks.

References

Greening of Potatoes, CSIRO