Just a couple of weeks, or sometimes just days, after stocking up on shopping, many find their potatoes starting to sprout, shrivel and lose their firmness - particularly when not stored correctly. The culprits? Excessive light and direct sunlight can cause spuds to sprout, wrinkle, and even turn green. But as long as they're still firm, not too wrinkly, and the sprouts are tiny, they're generally safe to eat.
Yet, there's a catch: potato sprouts can contain toxins. As they go bad, potatoes may produce solanine, which makes them green and bitter. To combat this, Lucia Washbrook, sales and marketing director at Branston, Britain's biggest potato supplier, has dished out her top tips for keeping your tatties tip-top.
Lucia insists: "Potatoes stored in the fridge can last over three times as long compared with storing at room temperature." And it's not just talk; the Waste and Resources Action Programme backs this up, claiming that such storage could slash food waste by 100,000 tonnes annually, reports the Express.
Lucia continues: "Storing potatoes in the fridge should be encouraged to prolong the lifespan and prevent Britons wasting over 5.8 million potatoes each year." While we used to be told to stash our spuds in a cool, dark cupboard, the new advice is to keep them chilled in the fridge at under five degrees Celsius.
