You reach into your pantry and spot them — those once-firm potatoes now covered in tiny green sprouts. They might look harmless (or even a little funny), but before you toss them into your next stew, it’s worth asking:
👉 Are sprouted potatoes actually safe to eat?
The short answer? It depends.
Let’s break down what’s really going on when your potatoes start to sprout — and whether you should cook them, or compost them.
🌱 Why Potatoes Sprout
Potatoes are living vegetables — even after they’re harvested. Over time, especially when stored in warm or humid conditions, they begin to “wake up.”
Sprouts are simply new shoots forming as the potato tries to grow a new plant.
While that might sound perfectly natural, it also signals chemical changes inside the potato — and that’s where things get tricky.
⚠️ The Real Concern: Natural Toxins Called Solanine and Chaconine
When potatoes sprout or turn green, they start producing higher levels of glycoalkaloids — specifically solanine and chaconine.
These are natural defense compounds that help protect the potato from insects and fungi — but in humans, they can be toxic in large amounts.
Eating potatoes with high solanine levels can cause:
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Nausea or vomiting 🤢
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Stomach cramps
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Headaches
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Dizziness
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In rare cases, neurological symptoms
The greener and more sprouted the potato, the higher the toxin concentration.
👩‍🍳 So, Can You Still Eat Sprouted Potatoes?
Here’s the rule of thumb:
