Mondo Knows Facts
A green potato has been making chlorophyll and solanine
Light turns potatoes green and also raises bitter glycoalkaloids in the skin
When potatoes are stored in light they produce chlorophyll, which shows as a green tint just under the skin. The same conditions trigger solanine and chaconine, two glycoalkaloids that taste bitter. Cut the green away before cooking, and store potatoes dark and cool to stop the process starting.
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Tags: potatoes, storage, glycoalkaloids
A green potato has been making chlorophyll and solanine: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Light turns potatoes green and also raises bitter glycoalkaloids in the skin. The figure is taken from USDA, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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