What is it with potatoes anymore?

**cab54** · 12-13-2009, 12:28 PM

Why are they always green?

I've been peeling taters since 1963, I never saw a greenish (raw?) tater. Now when I take them out of the bag, they have a slight greenish hue under the skin, and when I peel them, they are green 1/16 of the way through. I hate to take off too much peel (I can hear my uber-frugal grandma chastising me for going too deep).....it's such a waste!

No one seems to have any ill effects from these greenish things, but......eww. It doesn't matter what type of taters I buy, or from what part of the country. I'm noticing this with almost every bag I buy. I've tried buying BIG taters, hoping that it is a 'ripe' thing. The biggies are green too.

What's the deal?

**larabelle** · 12-13-2009, 12:46 PM

I am not sure...I am the potato queen in my office as I eat ALOT of potatoes...but I have not noted the green condition you are remarking about. Do you think that maybe they ordered them from an out of space supplier?

**NikoSan999** · 12-13-2009, 01:00 PM

I noticed this about a year ago. Still happening. Have no clue. Does seem here that the lighter the skin color the greener it is under.

**monkeywrangler71** · 12-13-2009, 01:03 PM

It's caused by exposure to light, but I don't know why you're getting them more often than you used to.

**MomToTwoBoys** · 12-13-2009, 01:06 PM

The previous bag I had was all green on the inside, but I think that was more due to the light exposure and the packaging that it was in.

We peel them and eat them like they're fine.

**ladytoysdream** · 12-13-2009, 01:10 PM

I'm seeing it a lot this year. Especially store bought.
I believe the green is because it was exposed to the sun. Not being covered up good, hilled.
I experimented with our's this year. The first rows the hubby maintained and hilled several times. Then I stuck a few more short rows in here and there. Just planted them, no hilling. But I did check them to make sure when I saw potatoes peeking out of the dirt to cover them up. Both groups did well.

It could be from soil conditions, how much rain , etc. This past summer was very wet. Not good for the crops.
Some of what I did on the deck as experiments in pots did well. Had protection from too much rain and steady sun.

I'd blame the weather.

**cab54** · 12-13-2009, 02:21 PM

I don't know....

This happens when I buy them up here in northern MI, or down home in Ohio. Different stores, different states of origin, also.

I guess it must be the light exposure. But why did I never see this in the 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's?? What are they doing differently?

**quilting2day2** · 12-13-2009, 02:37 PM

It is called "sunburn" it is because the potatoes are exposed to too much light. Even florecent light will do this . When I worked in a grocery store . We used to cover the potatoes with something at night at closing time to help prevent this.
This is why Potatoes are supposed to be stored in a cool dark place.

**Libby** · 12-13-2009, 02:52 PM

This is what I found on the net:

http://community.tasteofhome.com/forums/t/304084.aspx

Green = bad and poisonous, however you'd have to eat a lot of whole green taters to get sick.

**Nana2two** · 12-13-2009, 02:58 PM

I noticed it to this year. I think its just bad crops.

**nancycg56** · 12-13-2009, 03:55 PM

I've noticed it and refuse to leave it on a potato since I did read it was not good to do so. Sometimes I'll start out with a nice size potato and have to pare it until I have just a little nub ~ makes me nuts!

**dcompton** · 12-13-2009, 04:34 PM

Well, I usually don't peel potatoes, just scrub them well. Some green and I just soldier on - it seems to have done no harm that I can tell. It is a Really Green, I will remove it.

I had always heard that if it was green from growing conditions it could be bad. One year when I was living in Toronto, we were publicly warned to remove all the green at that time. But that if it's just from improper storage - the light - it really isn't harmful. I don't know if that has any truth to it. Anyway how are you supposed to tell the difference?

So I just ignore the potato roulette and slog on. I figure it's a lot more dangerous driving to work than eating some green peel now and then, and need a little excitement in my culinary life.

**Trishagirl** · 12-13-2009, 04:39 PM

Just yesterday we were behind a farmer pulling a bin full of potatoes! We usually don't see that in our parts we ususally just have corn and soybeans here. It was a neat site.

**cab54** · 12-13-2009, 05:22 PM

You know, now that I think about it.........used to be all potatoes (or most) were in a heavy paper type bag with maybe a little screen of webbing on the front of the bag. Kept the light out, I'm sure.

Now, I see most taters in open webbed bags, or clear plastic.

**Gabe** · 12-13-2009, 06:15 PM

I think plastic bags are the culprit. Since plastic is less expensive and possibly more resistant to tearing, (pleasant to the uninformed customer, I can see the whole bag inside vs a few ones and make a better informed choice?) probably many potato producers are switching to it.

Not implying plastic is better. I think it's worst.