can sprouted food be eaten some can really cause poisoning
I just finished writing an article about spring fatigue, and everyone wrote back saying they read it as spring fever. Haha, what are you all thinking?So, when the dog got off work, my husband said, 'Hey, I just finished reading your article about spring fever. Come and tell me, in the kitchen, the garlic is sprouting, and the taro is sprouting too. Can we still eat them? Mom said it would be a pity to throw them away. What should we do?'
I want to say, you must be a fake fan and a fake husband of the dog. What kind of operation is this? The dog wrote about spring fatigue, not spring fever, okay?Asking questions in such a roundabout way. Alright, alright, let me tell everyone about the so-called 'spring fever' in your kitchen, which is actually sprouting!
Sprouting represents new vitality, but can all sprouted foods be eaten? Besides the well-known fact that sprouted potatoes are inedible, what other foods should we be cautious about?
Next, you will see the following content:
1. Foods that are best not eaten when sprouted
2. Which sprouted foods have reduced nutritional value? How to prevent and handle food sprouting?
3. Foods whose nutritional value doubles when sprouted
Almost everyone knows that sprouted potatoes are toxic and should not be eaten.Yes! The dog will talk about this first today! But what I want to say is that it's not absolutely inedible, so don't rush to scroll down!
The killer in sprouted potatoes is a substance called solanine, a toxic alkaloid. Ingesting it can cause mild symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, and severe cases can lead to heart failure and respiratory paralysis, resulting in death.
In fact, normal potatoes also contain solanine, but in very low amounts that are not harmful to humans.However, once potatoes start to sprout and turn green, they produce a large amount of solanine, which is 50 times more than in normal potatoes, making them highly toxic to humans.
Ingesting 200 milligrams of solanine,which is about 30 grams of sprouted and green potatoes, can cause poisoning symptoms within 15 minutes to 3 hours.
So, can sprouted potatoes be eaten?
For potatoes with very few sprouts, just showing signs of sprouting, there are ways to avoid wasting them.
PS: It is recommended to cut them into thin strips when soaking, which helps solanine dissolve in water!
But if the potato has a large green area and many sprouted parts, it should be discarded and not eaten.
Preventive measures include storing potatoes in a dry, cool place.As a dog who studied agriculture, I know about controlling temperature and humidity, but what can I do when it rains for 28 to 30 days a month?
In desperate situations, you can also do this:Store potatoes with apples in a sealed container, as the ethylene gas released by apples can effectively inhibit sprouting.
1. Ginger
Sometimes, even the ginger we just bought has sprouts. Although sprouted ginger is not toxic, its nutritional value is greatly reduced.
This is because, over time, the sprouts absorb the nutrients from the ginger, making the flesh dry and shriveled, reducing its nutritional value and affecting its taste.So, if you find ginger sprouting, use it up quickly.
Special attention:If the ginger is already rotten and moldy, the rotten parts and surrounding areas should not be eaten, as rotting ginger can produce safrole, which can cause liver cell degeneration, necrosis, and even liver cancer.
Recommended storage method:Use an unused flower pot, fill it with sand, place the ginger in it, cover it with sand, and keep the sand moist to preserve it for a long time.
2. Taro
Taro is relatively durable and can be stored for a long time, but it also sprouts in spring.Like ginger, sprouted taro does not pose a health risk, but its taste and nutritional value will be reduced.
Sprouting consumes some of the nutrients, causing water loss, making the taste inferior to non-sprouted taro.
Special attention:Taro is not resistant to low temperatures, so fresh taro should not be stored in the refrigerator. When the temperature is below 7°C, it should be kept in a warmer place indoors to prevent frost damage and rot.
Recommended storage method:Hang storage: Buy a mesh bag, put the taro in it, and hang it in a dry, cool, and ventilated place.
3. Sweet Potatoes (Red/Purple)
Dog, you said eating whole grains is good. I bought 3 kilograms of purple sweet potatoes a few days ago, and within a week, they started sprouting.My family even put one in a vase, and the sweet potato vines grew very tall. It looks nice, but it's not edible!
Sweet potatoes and potatoes are both tubers, but sprouted sweet potatoes are different from sprouted potatoes.Sprouted sweet potatoes do not produce harmful substances to humans. However, like ginger and taro, their nutritional value will be reduced.
Special attention:Sprouted sweet potatoes are prone to mold. If the skin has brown or black spots, it indicates contamination by black spot fungus, which produces toxins like ipomeanine that remain active even after boiling or roasting. Such sweet potatoes should not be eaten.
Therefore, sprouted sweet potatoes can be eaten, but moldy sweet potatoes should not.
Recommended storage method:Place sweet potatoes in a cardboard box, separating them with dry paper to prevent moisture and reduce the likelihood of sprouting.
4. Onions
Harvested onions can be stored for a long time after drying without sprouting or rotting.However, in spring, at around 15°C, onions are most likely to sprout. Sprouted onions, even those with green shoots, do not produce harmful substances and can still be eaten. However, the nutrients will be transferred to the sprouts, reducing the nutritional content and making the taste spicier.
Recommended storage method:Hanging storage method: Use clean stockings or mesh bags, place one onion at a time, tie a knot after each one, and hang the whole string in a cool, ventilated place. Cut one off from the bottom when needed.
1. Soybeans, Green Beans, Peas
These beans are highly nutritious, and sprouting turns them into different ingredients—soybean sprouts, green bean sprouts, and pea sprouts, which are even more nutritious.
For example, sprouted soybeans have reduced fat and sugar content, but increased protein, isoflavones, and vitamin C.
Compared to soybeans and green beans, soybean sprouts and green bean sprouts are more suitable for people with poor digestion.Pea sprouts are highly recommended, with a carotene content of up to 2700 micrograms per 100 grams, while common vegetables have less than 100 micrograms per 100 grams, a 27-fold difference.
2. Peanuts
Stir-fried peanut sprouts with cured meat is a dish that will make your mouth water. Try it once, and you'll love it.
If intentionally cultivated, sprouted peanuts have significantly increased vitamin C content.They also contain more resveratrol and flavonoids, which have antioxidant properties.
Usually, sprouted peanuts at home are due to damaged peanut skins.Peanuts are prone to mold, forming toxic aflatoxins, which are strong carcinogens. It is best not to eat them.
Dog, speaking of stir-frying with cured meat, recently I found another delicious ingredient—lettuce. I accidentally bought hollow lettuce at the market. Can it still be eaten? The cured meat is ready, but the lettuce is not.
Hollow lettuce is caused by external conditions (e.g., late harvesting, lack of fertilization), which do not significantly affect its nutritional content. The taste may be slightly inferior, but it is still edible.
3. Garlic
Sprouted garlic has higher antioxidant content than fresh garlic, and its dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, and carotene content are also higher.
However, remember that discolored or moldy garlic should not be eaten.So, the husband at the beginning was right to listen to his mother.
Summary
1. Foods that are best not eaten when sprouted?
① Potatoes—sprouted and green, producing solanine 50 times more than in normal potatoes.
② Ingesting 200 milligrams of solanine (about 30 grams of sprouted and green potatoes) can cause poisoning within 15 minutes to 3 hours.
③ For small amounts of sprouting, the method is: deeply dig out the sprouts, peel off the skin and green parts, soak in cold water for over half an hour, then cook thoroughly with vinegar.
2. Which sprouted foods have reduced nutritional value? How to prevent and handle food sprouting?
① Ginger—sand covering preservation method
② Taro—hanging storage
③ Sweet Potatoes (Red/Purple)—stored in a dry cardboard box
④ Onions—hanging storage method
3. Foods whose nutritional value doubles when sprouted
① Soybeans, Green Beans, Peas
② Peanuts
③ Garlic
References
[1] Ma Guansheng, Are Sprouted Potatoes Really Toxic? [J]. Life and Health, 2018(3):39.
[2] Xu Shijie, Luo Qing, Lei Qingzhi, et al. Study on the Changes of Nutrients and Functional Components During Peanut Sprouting [J]. Hubei Agricultural Sciences, 2018 (2018 No. 01): 89-92, 96.