Can I eat it? Potato twin edition

October 17, 2015 3:53 PM

I steam potatoes in the steamer. Did this 14 oz one up, cut open when done, wtf is that in the dead center? Russet. am I THAT hungry?
posted by tilde to Food & Drink (9 answers total)

Best answer: It's just a little bad spot. Happens all the time in potatoes, they develop with a little abscess. It's totally harmess; cut it out and eat the rest.
posted by headspace at 4:02 PM on October 17, 2015 [7 favorites]

Response by poster: Cool beans. My last one was ashy tasting after sitting on the counter in a paper bag this week so I'm wary.
posted by tilde at 4:05 PM on October 17, 2015

Best answer: Yes, potatoes that grow very large tend to develop a little void in the centre.
posted by ssg at 4:29 PM on October 17, 2015 [5 favorites]

Sitting at room temp in a paper bag is normal potato storage -- you know this, right...? (Slightly cooler = potatoes last for ages, but, you're not supposed to refrigerate them.)
posted by kmennie at 4:38 PM on October 17, 2015

Response by poster: I do. But this is Florida and room temp is 77-80. I hate being hit or miss, grar, and a cooked ashy bitter potato is really annoying .
posted by tilde at 5:09 PM on October 17, 2015

That rare and precious jewel, the AskMeFi "should I eat this" question where the answer is yes.

Let us all savor this lukewarm, starchy moment together.
posted by mhoye at 6:38 PM on October 17, 2015 [63 favorites]

I've seen a similar effect on potatoes affected by blight at my allotment too, I'm not sure if that's a thing where your potatoes were grown (in in the uk) but its harmless, just cut out the bad bits! If its too bad those brown bits spread all the way through the potato but in a mild case you can get away with cutting it out.
posted by Peetree at 2:14 AM on October 18, 2015

Best answer: Unlike what I usually say, you're fine. Potatoes are pretty forgiving; cut away anything that is black, brown, or green and you're good to go.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 3:34 PM on October 18, 2015 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This potato is indeed totally fine to eat after scooping out the dark bit, though it is important to note that not all parts of potatoes are always totally fine to eat. The sprouts, or "eyes," of potatoes that grow when potatoes are exposed to light or moisture can be mildly toxic due to their potentially high concentration of glycoalkaloids, which can mess with your gut and impair your ability to regulate acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. How much a potato will contain is also strongly dependent on the variety. For the most part, even eating quite a few will generally only result in gastrointestinal distress that is more hilarious than serious, but dedicated potato sprout consumers have been known to experience hallucinations, paralysis, and death.

If a potato does sprout, so long as it is a retail variety and is still firm, it is totally fine to just remove the sprout and eat the rest. However, if it is an untested heirloom variety or shrunken and wrinkled, its probably best to plant and/or toss it.
posted by Blasdelb at 1:39 AM on October 19, 2015 [4 favorites]