Are green potatoes safe to eat?

[Koalamom]

I got a bushel of freshly picked organic potatoes at a local farmer market. I put them in my car, and forgot about them. So almost a week later, I brought them in, and they all turned very green! Are they safe to eat? Why did they turn green?

[ChristieB]

I'm sorry, but they're not safe to eat. The green signifies the formation of a poison (solanine, I think).

[OceanMomma]

Potatoes normally turn green on contact with light. How quickly they do this I think depends on what colour the skin is. The light ones go green very quickly in the light. All you can really do with these is keep them & use them as seed potatoes.

[Ruthla]

I heard that the green part isn't safe to eat, but the white part underneath is still fine. Whenever I have green potatoes I make sure to peel them before cooking. I often peel them anyway, depending on the recipe, but with green potatoes I don't consider "unpeeled" an option.

[spartz]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

I got a bushel of freshly picked organic potatoes at a local farmer market. I put them in my car, and forgot about them. So almost a week later, I brought them in, and they all turned very green! Are they safe to eat? Why did they turn green?

My sister and her flatmates spent the night vomiting with awful stomach cramps. Turned out one of the flatmates had served them green potatoes - he didn't know the green part is poisonous. He sure does now.

[Samjm]

We regularly eat green potatoes. I make sure to peel / chop all the green off and they are fine.

From online research:

The greenish hue is actually chlorophyll, but it is also an indicator that an alkaloid, called solanine, may be present under the skin of the potato. Solanine develops in potatoes when they are stored in the presence of light (which also encourages chlorophyll formation) and either at very cold or quite warm temperatures. It is toxic, however it would take a very large number of green potatoes to make you ill. This apllies to the green sprouts and skin.
Since solanine collects just under the skin, it is safe to peel away the skin and a thin layer of white flesh before you cook the potato. Cooking at high temperatures (over 170 °C or 340 °F) partly destroys these.Believe it or not, potatoes are part of the deadly nightshade family. While it can make someone ill, its also poisonious to dogs .

[mamadelbosque]

Yeah, we didn't know this either an left our potatoes outside on the picnic table for a couple days and they started to turn green. You just have to peel them before you eat them and cut out any bit that looks greenish. The white inside should still be safe though

[Koalamom]

So the green is bad. Ok. But what about the green that is on carrots (not the leafy part, but on the actual tuber)?