Why Do Potatoes Turn Green and Can We Still Eat Them?

Solanine concentrates in:
The skin (especially green patches)

Just under the skin
The “eyes” (those little sprout buds)

Any green areas inside the potato
What Does Solanine Do to Your Body?

In high enough doses, solanine can cause:

Nausea and vomiting
Headaches and dizziness
Stomach cramps and diarrhea
In severe cases: confusion, fever, and even neurological issues
The good news: You would need to eat a very large amount of highly green potatoes to experience severe symptoms. Most cases of solanine poisoning cause mild, temporary digestive upset.

So, Can You Still Eat Green Potatoes?
The answer is: It depends on how green they are!

✅ SAFE to Eat (With Prep):
If your potato has:
Slight green tint on the skin
Small green spots or patches
A few sprouts

What to do:
Peel it generously – Remove the skin and about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of the flesh underneath
Cut away all green areas – Don’t just scrape; cut deeply enough to remove all green coloration
Remove all eyes and sprouts – These concentrate solanine
If the potato tastes bitter, spit it out! – Solanine has a distinctly bitter taste

❌ NOT SAFE to Eat:
If your potato has:
Extensive green coloring throughout the flesh
A very bitter taste even after peeling
Large sprouts growing from multiple eyes
A shriveled or wrinkled appearance (indicates age and higher toxin levels)
What to do: Throw it away! It’s not worth the risk. One potato isn’t worth a trip to the doctor.

The “Taste Test” Warning
Here’s an old-fashioned trick my grandmother taught me: If you’re peeling a potato and it tastes bitter when you lick the raw flesh, throw it out immediately.
Solanine has a very distinctive bitter, burning taste. Your body is literally warning you that the potato is toxic! Don’t try to “cook the bitterness out”—solanine is heat-stable and won’t break down during cooking, baking, or frying.