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Potatoes
The potato is a starchy root vegetable that is a common and versatile ingredient in cuisines around the world.
3,369 Questions
Are soft potatoes still good to eat?
I cannot find any specific reference to this, but I am a biological scientist and ex farmer, so perhaps my answer to this will carry a bit of weight.
Potatoes go soft for various reasons, and their safety depends on the cause.
1/ the spud is infected with a blight that makes a spud soft even at harvest. Discard, as these can be quite toxic. Commercially bought spuds should not contain any like this, but home grown ones might get blight.
2/ "glassy" spud. This too is an infection. The spud is not so much soft, as has a translucent appearance and is hard even after cooking. It is not toxic, but the spud tastes unpleasant and has a nasty texture. Not worth eating unless you're starving.
3/ The potato has died in storage and is decaying. This should be fairly obvious. Like any dead thing, it will rot, and the first stage could well be softening, before dissolving into a puddle of foul smelling slime.
But say that hasn't happened yet, and the spud is dead, a bit soft, but there are no other signs, like mold, bad smell or obvious bacterial colonies on the surface.
If you cut it open and find black spots inside, then it is definitely infected and should be discarded. If not, it is probably safe, but it is still a bit like eating fresh road kill.....
It's probably a bad idea to eat a dead spud, even if as yet it isn't showing any obvious signs of decay. I just wouldn't. Added: I'm another biologist, and I think dead potato's are fine to be eaten. The question is whether rot has set in or not. If they aren't smelly and have no green or black spots then it should be fine. However it may have a diminished taste, texture or nutrient value.
4. The spud is sprouting. When this happens, the growing point takes nutrient from the body of the spud, making it soft. Now, provided it is sprouting in the dark, and you cut out the sprouts, the rest of the spud, admittedly soft, is quite harmless.
However, if the spud is sprouting in the light, it will certainly also be greening, and all green parts are poisonous! Again though, provided you cut away all green parts and skin, what's left is OK, BUT, again if the whole spud has turned green, the toxin will have spread deep into the flesh, so again it should definitely be discarded.
5/ The spud has been kept in the fridge. Bad idea. Spuds are alive, and should be stored at room temperature in the dark. Being kept at four degrees Celsius will in due course kill a spud just like it'd kill you.
However the refrigeration also inhibits decay. In fact a refrigerated spud may well still be alive, but moribund, and dehydrated, which will make it soft. This spud is quite safe to eat.
On the other hand, if you take your refrigerated soft spud and find it has black spots, or particularly black veins on the inside, it is not only dead, but is also infected with fungus. In my experience, small amounts of this are harmless, but *all* fungi should be treated with deep suspicion.
And though some fungi are harmless, most at least taste bad, others will make you nauseous, in some cases even cause actual food poisoning, an allergic reaction, and in a worst case scenario, kill you outright (Clostridium botulinus in particular.)
So, if your spuds have been kept in the fridge, have gone soft, don't smell funny, and have only superficial blemishes, I'd say if you're desperate, peel 'em, boil 'em and eat 'em.
They'll taste OK, and even firm up in the cooking, especially if you make fries from them. So, - you just won't know the difference. But all other instances of soft spuds except greening after removing all green parts, should be studiously avoided.
if this is an osmosis questions. the one in sugar will shrink and the one in water should swell up. in the sugar solution the concentration or [] of sugar is high outside therefore the water moves from inside the potato to the outside to try to equalize the []. the opposite is true for the potato in distilled water
Why were potatoes such a great crop?
They are easy to grow. They keep in cold storage for a long time, and you can plant new ones from them. They can also be used in many ways.
Which part of the potato plant when eating?
stem Think this may be wrong think it is called the tuber.
You could probably cook it at the same temperature but it will deffinately take longer to cook it because of the deeper pan you are cooking it in. Keep a close eye on it and stir it now and then to keep it from burning on the top before the bottom of the potatoe's cook.
The price of most basic foodstuffs like rice, wheat, corn and potatoes is currently increasing (February 2011).
Whether you consider potatoes expensive depends on your circumstances but they are getting more expensive.
For millions of people, who eat once a day if they are lucky, rising food prices already means less food to eat, malnutrition, and possible starvation. For others it only means the price of "fries" going up at their local fast food outlet.
How many calories in a steak and baked potato?
That depends on the type of steak, the size of the steak, the size of the baked potato and whether or not you add butter or toppings to the baked potato. For the calorie content of steak by weight and type, and the calorie content of baked potato by weight or size, please see the page links, further down this page, listed under Related Questions.
1 large to 5 small sweet potatoes- on average 3 just like regular potatoes
What are some unusual potato recipes?
You can use potatoes to make so many yummy dishes! If you want to steer clear of the usual mashed, baked, or boiled potatoes, you can try potato salad, Hasselback potatoes, scalloped potatoes, or try frying them to make delicious chips!
How many potatoes are needed to make mashed potatoes for 400 people?
LOTS AND LOTS! just kidding. if you figure about 1 potato per person approx ( so i would say 400-475 potatoes depending on the size of them. good luck.
Dogs can eat almost anything, whether they should is another question.
Are pomme frites made with mashed potatoes?
No, pomme frites are made from fresh uncooked potato. It's the french name for chips, fries or french fries.
First its spelled sweet not sweat, and second no it is not.
Freezing instant mashed potatoes?
I just made shepherd's pie w/instant mashed potatoes and they didn't retain their potato-like texture, turned into much :-/
Is there a tequila made with potatoes?
It is called tequila because it is made from parts of a particular cactus plant.
Alcohol made from potatoes is called vodka.
