Can I eat this, no. 28177

March 25, 2019 4:45 PM

My husband cut up some potatoes this afternoon and put them in a pot with olive oil, rosemary, and salt. Now the cut surfaces of some (not all) of the pieces are an unappealing gray color and we would like to know if they can be baked and served or if they should just be thrown out.

Details:

Potatoes were small red and yellow potatoes.
Pot is stainless steel.
About 70% of the red potato pieces are affected, 0% of the yellow.
No detectable off smell.
We had the potatoes about two weeks before cutting them up.
No noticeable discoloration on the skins, either before or after cutting them.

What is this? To what degree is it a problem? We were hoping to serve them to a guest tomorrow.

posted by Spathe Cadet to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

Best answer: It's just a little oxidation, like an apple turning brown after being cut.

Bake and eat. No problem.
posted by sanka at 4:46 PM on March 25, 2019 [8 favorites]

Best answer: Yeah, that’ll happen with potatoes (this is why when we cut or peel potatoes we cover them in water, and when we do latkes we alternate grating potato with onion- it helps prevent this). Should be fine to eat, same reason peeled apples turn brown after a bit.
posted by charmedimsure at 4:56 PM on March 25, 2019 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you both!
posted by Spathe Cadet at 5:02 PM on March 25, 2019

Honestly I feel most potatoes are better with a bit of aging, though the waxy red/yellow varieties tend to visibly show age a bit more than some other types. Enjoy!/
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:13 PM on March 25, 2019