Can potatoes that have sprouted be thrown away? What else can potatoes that have sprouted be used for?

We all know that potatoes are a common food. They can be cooked in many ways and have rich flavors. They can be fried, steamed, stir-fried, etc. Many people eat potatoes frequently. If potatoes are not stored properly, they will easily sprout. So, can we just throw away the sprouted potatoes? Let's take a closer look!

Should potatoes be thrown away if they sprout?

No. Sprouted potatoes cannot be eaten, but they can have other uses.

Potatoes have a very high starch content, so they became one of the staple foods that people in many European countries must eat every day four or five thousand years ago. Although it has only a history of a few hundred years when it was introduced to my country, it has become a convenient food that everyone often eats. Basically, every household will store some potatoes at home, which is a delicious dish with any ingredient. It is very convenient. In this way, potatoes will sprout because they are not eaten in time, stored too much or stored improperly. Potato sprouts will produce solanine, which is a neurotoxin that is harmful to the human body. It will paralyze the human nerves. In severe cases, it can also cause paralysis or even death. Therefore, you must not eat sprouted potatoes. Sometimes you think it’s a pity to throw away potatoes that have accidentally sprouted at home. You can use sprouted potatoes for other purposes.

What are the benefits of potato sprouts?

1. Make seeds

Since the potatoes have sprouted, cut them into several small pieces along the buds, and then plant them in the empty flower pot on the balcony and cover them with soil. Potatoes are easy to grow and can survive with just a little watering. If you are lucky, you can harvest a bunch of small potatoes in late autumn! While enjoying the green, you can also harvest organic fruits and vegetables that you grow yourself, which adds a lot of fun to your life.

2. Make fertilizer

Cut the sprouted potatoes with the skin into small pieces. The smaller the better. Put them in a clean empty plastic oil barrel and add water and a little sugar to the bottom of the barrel to ferment. The barrel can be opened and used in ten days or half a month. The flowers and plants on the balcony and the fruits and vegetables planted with the fertilizer made from the fermented potatoes grow particularly strong and are not easy to be infested with insects! The tomatoes grown are fresh, fragrant, delicious, sweet, soft and especially delicious!

3. Do cleaning

The Spring Festival is coming soon. Before the festival, you may want to try using sprouted potatoes to cut into thin skins as thick as coins and use them to clean any stainless steel appliances at home. Such as faucets, showers, steamers, stainless steel hook racks, etc., without adding any chemical agents, they will shine like new and are resistant to dirt. Sisters no longer have to worry about hurting their hands while cleaning furniture!

How long can fresh potatoes be stored?

When storing potatoes, we must strictly select them. Those with injuries or pockmarks should never be stored. You can put the potatoes in a breathable mesh bag or sack, put them in a dark place at home for ventilation, and put an apple on them to prevent the potatoes from toothing. Ripe apples will release a hormone that can promote the ripening of plant fruits.

How to store new potatoes

First, we can put the fresh potatoes we bought into a carton and put a few green apples in the box. The ethylene it emits can keep the potatoes fresh during storage. Do not expose them to the sun. Potatoes are most likely to sprout under high temperatures, so do not let them stay in too high a temperature.

Do not place potatoes in a place with high humidity and poor ventilation, as this will cause the potatoes to rot. They should be placed in the corner of the house, preferably with a layer of sand underneath, which will be more conducive to the preservation of the potatoes. Do not place them together with other vegetables and fruits, such as sweet potatoes and other vegetables that are prone to mold, as this is really not good.