Potatoes, from the Patch

[Phaedra]

I'd not heard this before about sprouted potatoes. In some quick searching just now, it looks like the toxins are very high in the sprout itself. I wonder if it actually affects the flesh of the potato?

Thanks for the 'heads up'! I'll keep an eye out for more info.

I guess they won't affect the potato flesh. Germans are potato lovers, and most of the people I know only avoid those with green skin. They throw the sprouts away, so now I do the same.

 

[Phaedra]

Sweet potatoes are a challenge for cool or short-season locations. I think I could grow some here, with a lot of TLC, and have a list of varieties to trial. For me, it is a question not only of maturity, but of where the tubers form. My soil is very heavy, and I have little patience for playing "where's Waldo" with a shovel - especially having experienced that once.

About 15 years ago, I grew a sweet potato grown for its shoots & leaves, from slips purchased in an Asian grocery. The vines grew well, and we harvested a lot of greens from them. When Autumn came, I decided to see whether the plants had developed tubers. The good news: they had... long, narrow, twisted white tubers that had a very dry consistency (similar to a white variety aptly named "Choker"). There were a lot of them too. The bad news: they were anywhere within 3' of the plants in all directions, and up to 8" deep. To find them, I had to follow the thick roots (which were identifiable) outward from the plant, digging carefully, until I located the tuber. This wasn't harvesting - it was excavation!!! After digging only a few (and ruining that part of the garden) I gave up & left the rest to freeze. I was actually relieved that none of them survived the winter.

I love their greens more than their tubers. Since the summer here is also too short for them to develop good enough tubers, I turn my target to their leaves.

I saw people plant sweet potatoes directly in containers/even a bag of soil - might be easier to get the harvest and then recycle the used soil?

 

[Marie2020]

I guess they won't affect the potato flesh. Germans are potato lovers, and most of the people I know only avoid those with green skin. They throw the sprouts away, so now I do the same.

It's a wise choice to throw away green potatoes, I believe they are toxic.

I bought some lovely looking potatoes from Israel once they turned green when they were cooked. Strange

 

[digitS']

I know that I have mentioned this before (but maybe not on this thread ).

We had a TEG gardener who must have had a sunny, "daylight" basement and would start Irish potatoes there. (Can we call them Idaho or, maybe, German potatoes ?) They were started very early in grow bags and when warmer weather arrived her husband would carry the bags upstairs and outdoors.

Seemed like a LOT of work but -- they would have a very early harvest of potatoes.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

It's a wise choice to throw away green potatoes, I believe they are toxic.

we peel the green layer off and cook them up. as long as i can't taste it i figure it must be ok enough.

if you have any specific evidence for throwing the whole potato away i'd be interested in seeing it.

https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Are-green-potatoes-dangerous

I bought some lovely looking potatoes from Israel once they turned green when they were cooked. Strange

something strange in the water or ? i dunno. check out the following for more intersting bits. i didn't know the following and i'll have to look into this more before i trust it "

How do you remove solanine from potatoes?​

CONSTITUTION: Solanin is removed from potatoes by dipping the potatoes in vinegar of 30-60 deg. C, containing 0.3-1.0 vol% of acetic acid, for 2-5 minutes."

Question: Why Do Potatoes Go Green When Cooked - Worldanything

Potatoes will often go green when they're not stored properly and they're exposed to light. This is due to formation of chlorophyll (which is found in all green plants), however

www.montalvospirits.com

 

[Phaedra]

This reminds me of a funny scene that I saw last week. The homegrown potatoes were stored in the cold and dark pantry, where there was only a tiny window on another side of the space. I put them in a wooden crate and used two layers of jute bags to block the light while they still could breathe. Then I forget the last few potatoes since last December.

And this funny scene happened.

They did try their best!

Anyway, none of them turned green. I cut those stems and put them in the water. Now the roots and leaves are both growing well. Next week, I will plant them in the sunny basement until there is no frost danger. It would be an interesting experiment, as stem cuttings should work.

 

[flowerbug]

funny potato discoveries and pics from the worm farm buckets:

Potatoes | Anthive

Funny things about potato peels...

www.anthive.com

 

[meadow]

I know that I have mentioned this before (but maybe not on this thread ).

We had a TEG gardener who must have had a sunny, "daylight" basement and would start Irish potatoes there. (Can we call them Idaho or, maybe, German potatoes ?) They were started very early in grow bags and when warmer weather arrived her husband would carry the bags upstairs and outdoors.

Seemed like a LOT of work but -- they would have a very early harvest of potatoes.

Steve

I just saw a video yesterday of a fellow that starts them indoors in tall yogurt containers, then transfers to a 5 gallon pot when they are a few inches tall (takes about a month?). He has a harsh climate so it is worth it to him to get a head start... without having to carry heavy buckets around. His 5 gallon pots are salvaged flower display pots from the grocery store.