Family Solanum (nightshade) is generally associated with toxins, and for good reasons, as most of the plants in this family are poisonous. This includes some of everyone’s favorite staple veg…
I’ve never heard of anyone ever being poisoned by a potato. I know you’re not supposed to eat potatoes that have turned green in the sun or started sprouting, but I’ve always ignored that rule, cut off the green bits or peeled away the sprouts before cooking. Never had an issue.
If you’ve ever grown your own potatoes, when you come to harvest them you might find the odd one or two poking through the soil that have been sun exposed and thus green. Apparently you’re not supposed to eat them. I just peel the skin off them and eat them anyway. No issues. As for eating them raw, I’m not sure why you’d want to. My mother always ate a chunk of raw potato when she was chopping them, to no ill effect. I’ve tried it, but it’s not tasty like a piece of raw carrot or turnip.
I’m really not understanding this whole “poisonous potato” thing. As far as I’m concerned you just boil, roast or fry the damn things and eat them with skin on or off.
Maybe they’re poisonous the same way alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are considered poisons. I think you’ll find every vegetable is poisonous to some degree.
Lectins, anti nutrients, oxalates (though these are not really in potatoes)
From an evolutionary perspective, animals can run away, hide, fight - to survive and reproduce. Plants, however, can’t do any of those things, what they can do, is be toxic so that animals won’t eat them.
I’ve never heard of anyone ever being poisoned by a potato. I know you’re not supposed to eat potatoes that have turned green in the sun or started sprouting, but I’ve always ignored that rule, cut off the green bits or peeled away the sprouts before cooking. Never had an issue.
Good argument. However
minecraft:poisonous_potato/sI’ve heard they are poisonous if you eat them raw, but nothing about turning green in the sun or not eating them after they sprout.
If you’ve ever grown your own potatoes, when you come to harvest them you might find the odd one or two poking through the soil that have been sun exposed and thus green. Apparently you’re not supposed to eat them. I just peel the skin off them and eat them anyway. No issues. As for eating them raw, I’m not sure why you’d want to. My mother always ate a chunk of raw potato when she was chopping them, to no ill effect. I’ve tried it, but it’s not tasty like a piece of raw carrot or turnip.
I’m really not understanding this whole “poisonous potato” thing. As far as I’m concerned you just boil, roast or fry the damn things and eat them with skin on or off.
Maybe they’re poisonous the same way alcohol, nicotine and caffeine are considered poisons. I think you’ll find every vegetable is poisonous to some degree.
Things are definitely only poisonous if they kill you outright /s
Lectins, anti nutrients, oxalates (though these are not really in potatoes)
From an evolutionary perspective, animals can run away, hide, fight - to survive and reproduce. Plants, however, can’t do any of those things, what they can do, is be toxic so that animals won’t eat them.
That’s my strategy, too!