Homestead mailing list

[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> >Does anyone have a clue why all the 'white' potatoes have gone green?  
> Think they are fit to save for seed potatoes next year?

In all likelihood your red potatoes have gone "green" as well, you just 
can't see it.  Exposure to light causes (at least) two changes to the potato: 
  
It produces solanine and cholorophyl.  The two are more or less unrelated 
to each other. Contrary to popular belief, solanine is not green, it is 
colorless and pretty much tatesless.  Cholorphyl is green and bitter.  But 
since 
the same conditions that provoke the one provoke the other, then if the 
potato is green, it's a sure bet solanine is present.

Red potatoes disguise the green color.  The cholorophyl is present, but it 
is hard to see.  So is the solanine (present).

If you peel the potatoes and cook them until they heat up more than the 
temp of boiling water (french fries for example), it destroys the solanine.  
Boiled greenish potatoes are not safe to eat and in all likelihood neither 
are 
baked.  Fried is a different matter.

The potatoes are ideal to replant.


James