Second Prize Works of the First Ningxia Middle School Student Science Popularization and Science Fiction Writing Competition: Little Potatoes, Big Mysteries

Editor: Liu Yuxin Reviewer: Yang Pengbin

Ma Qingqing, Grade 2020, from Zhongning County No. 1 Middle School, Zhongwei City, won the Provincial Second Prize. Instructor: Gao Honghua

Fried pork with potatoes, beef stew with potatoes, mashed potatoes, French fries and other delicious foods are all very familiar to us and we love to eat them. These delicacies have one thing in common, that is, their main ingredients are vegetables that are indispensable to every family: potatoes. Every family often buys some and keeps them at home. Foods made with potatoes are delicious, and I often make French fries and mashed potatoes myself.

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One day, I found that the potatoes I bought at home had sprouted, like several "heads" popping out. I was very surprised, so I ran to ask my dad: "Dad, why did the potatoes sprout?" After looking at the potatoes, my dad said: "The potatoes will sprout if they are left at home for too long. These potatoes are no longer edible." "The potatoes are just sprouting, they are not rotten, why can't they be eaten?" I asked curiously. "Because once potatoes sprout, they will be poisonous. Eating sprouted potatoes is more terrible than eating rotten potatoes." Dad explained. From then on, I started to investigate potatoes...

I learned from the information displayed on the Internet that when potatoes sprout, they will produce a toxin called solanine, which is also called potato toxin. It is a toxic glycoside alkaloid. Every 100 grams of good quality potatoes contain only 10 mg of solanine, while the solanine in green, sprouted, and rotten potatoes can increase by 50 times or more! Feeding livestock with good quality potatoes generally does not cause poisoning. Eating a very small amount of solanine may not be obviously harmful to the human body, but if you eat 200 mg of solanine at a time (about half a tael of green and sprouted potatoes), you can get sick after 15 minutes to 3 hours! The earliest symptoms are itching in the mouth and throat, pain in the upper abdomen, and nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms.

To prevent the consumption of sprouted potatoes, it is important to pay attention to preventing potato solanine poisoning. Do not eat immature green-skinned potatoes; do not eat potatoes with too many sprouts or when most of the skin and flesh turn black or green; The parts of the potatoes that have sprouted, turned green, and rotten parts should be completely removed. If the green area of ​​the potato is large and there are many sprouted parts, the potato should be thrown away. In addition, pay attention to the storage of potatoes and do not store them for too long. Potatoes should be stored in a low-temperature, ventilated place without direct sunlight to prevent sprouts and greening.

For potatoes with very few sprouts, the sprouts and the flesh around the eyes should be thoroughly dug out to prevent the poisonous part from being eaten. The solanine contained in these potatoes can be removed: cut the peeled potatoes into small pieces and soak them in cold water for more than half an hour to dissolve the remaining solanine in the water. Taking advantage of the weak alkalinity of solanine, it can be destroyed by heating in acetic acid. Adding an appropriate amount of rice vinegar when roasting potatoes can use the acidity of vinegar to decompose solanine, which can have a detoxifying effect.

Potatoes should be cooked until crispy and thoroughly cooked, and long-term high temperature can partially decompose solanine. If you feel a little numb in your mouth when eating potatoes, it means that the potatoes still contain a lot of solanine. Stop eating them immediately to prevent poisoning. There is a folk dish in Guanzhong, Shaanxi, called vinegar-fried potatoes (another name for potatoes). This home-cooked dish is not only delicious, but also has its toxins destroyed during the cooking process. So you can eat it with confidence without worrying about solanine.

It turns out that there are so many mysteries in a small potato! Through this investigation, I feel that no matter what it is, we must be willing to explore. Only in this way can we gain more knowledge. Also, in the future, be careful with potatoes!