Should you eat sprouted sweet potatoes that have been stored for a long time?

Sweet potatoes are a valuable food in terms of nutritional value, always present in healthy diets for people who need to lose weight.

Due to frequent use, many people buy potatoes in large quantities, while humid weather conditions and improper storage make potatoes very easy to sprout. Can sweet potatoes that have sprouted for a long time be eaten? If eaten, will it be harmful to health? These are concerns of many people.

Can sprouted sweet potatoes be eaten after being stored for a long time?

According to nutritionist Nguyen Moc Lan, among vegetables, only sprouted potatoes are poisonous. Sprouted potatoes produce solanine, a highly toxic substance that can corrode the stomach, cause hemolysis, and paralyze the central nervous system. Normal cooking methods cannot destroy this poison; cutting off the green areas around the potato sprouts is also not sure to remove all the toxins.

According to expert Moc Lan, sprouted sweet potatoes are not poisonous unless they are infected with mold. Moldy sweet potatoes produce ipomeamarone - a toxin that makes the potatoes taste bitter. Therefore, when sweet potatoes show signs of spoilage, they should be thrown away.

In terms of nutritional value, sprouted sweet potatoes do not have as many vitamins and minerals as before, and the taste also changes and is no longer delicious.

Sprouted sweet potatoes themselves are not poisonous, but when left for a long time, especially in a humid environment, most of these tubers become infected with mold, causing black or brown spots to appear. The tubers at this time become a place where the toxin ipomeamarone accumulates, leading to many unpredictable health hazards. At this time, the potatoes have an unpleasant smell and bitter taste.

In short, you have every reason to throw away sprouted sweet potatoes: they are no longer delicious, have low nutritional value, and are at high risk of being contaminated with toxins. If you still want to use them, you should only use newly sprouted tubers that do not have black or brown spots.

How to preserve sweet potatoes

To preserve sweet potatoes for a long time, first of all you need to pay attention to choosing fresh, firm tubers that are not bruised, bruised, or cracked. You should choose potatoes of moderate size, avoid tubers with brown spots or worms.

After purchasing, sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place. Do not use nylon bags to wrap sweet potatoes tightly because it will make the potatoes moist and easy to sprout.

Sweet potatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator because the closed temperature in the refrigerator makes sweet potatoes susceptible to spoilage. The potato skin dries out and wrinkles, affecting the texture and taste, making the potatoes no longer delicious.

Sweet potatoes, if stored in a dry, airy place at a temperature of about 21 degrees Celsius, can last about 1 to 2 weeks. After that, it will begin the natural sprouting process.

If stored at higher temperatures, sweet potatoes will sprout more easily; but at temperatures between 12 and 14 degrees Celsius, sweet potatoes will not sprout.