One of the most annoying tasks in cooking is peeling potatoes. But it could be at least as important as it is annoying. That's because the peel contains solanines. Are they really toxic? Can you eat potato peels? We answer this question!
Potatoes are generally considered to be healthy. They are very rich in nutrients and have a very high water content. We Germans consume around 40 kilos of potatoes per year and per capita - whether as gratin, chips or in their pure form.
I for one hate peeling potatoes. Firstly, it takes forever and secondly, very little of a potato remains with me.
My friend always says that I carve more than peel. Therefore, I like to leave this honorable task to others.
Yet it could be important for your health to free the tasty earth tuber from its peel. Are you also a little peeling muffle? Then you should definitely read on!
The Federal Institute for Potato Research recommends that you do not eat potatoes with their skins on. The skin contains harmful solanine. But can you really make such a sweeping statement? The question of whether you can eat potato peel has not yet been answered unequivocally.
We asked nutritionists and took a close look at the potato. Find out whether you can eat potato peel here.
By the way it is full right now in trend to eat potatoes cold! This is supposed to be much better for the stomach and cold tubers are even less calories.
What's in the potato skin?
The potato is actually an underrated power food. Many love it because it can be prepared in so many different ways.
But the ingredients of potatoes are also really good! They are particularly rich in magnesium, iron, vitamins B and C and potassium. You see, there is a lot to be said for serving a portion of baked potatoes.
Things get more difficult when we take a look at the potato peel. In the skin area, potatoes naturally form a small amount of glycoalkaloids - so-called solanine and chaconine.
These substances belong to the alkaloids and serve as a defense against predators, insects and fungi. Solanine is virtually the natural plant protection.
Unfortunately, solanine can be harmful if you eat it in increased amounts. Therefore, you might want to think about eating the potato peel.
How much natural poison is in the potato?
The formation of solanine is enhanced by moisture and light. Therefore, it is particularly often found directly in the potato skin, green potatoes and in the "eyes" (i.e. the germination sites on potatoes).
Poor storage and growing conditions, such as pest infestation, excessive temperatures, sprouting and injury to the potato tuber, also increase solanine content.
The total value of both glycoalkaloids is given as the SGA value of a potato.
According to a study by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety, the average SGA value in 2005 was 20 to 30 milligrams per kilogram of potatoes. However, the WHO estimates that 100 milligrams is more common.
Damaged or already sprouting potatoes, however, have a much higher SGA value. The load of protective toxins can sometimes rise to 10000 milligrams per kilogram of potato.
Here it is said: Do not eat peels of green potatoes! It is best not to eat the whole potato.
Can you eat potato peels or better not?
We have already given you a small limitation. Potatoes that are obviously damaged or that have already sprouted strongly, you should simply remove.
In general, it can be said that solanine can cause unsightly symptoms - from a mild scratchy throat to headaches, diarrhea and vomiting.
More severe signs of poisoning are fever, visual disturbances, respiratory paralysis and other neurological disorders. However, such severe poisoning is very very very unlikely.
You will usually notice the first signs of poisoning from too much solanine after four to 19 hours.
Is it dangerous to eat the potato skin?
Sounds kind of scary when I think about how many times I've had Baked potatoes with skin and cottage cheese have eaten.
And here comes the crucial point: eating potato peelings is not fundamentally harmful to health. We asked a nutritionist and he too said, "You can eat potato peel, but just not by the bucketful."
It's the quantity that counts. Too much, at least when it comes to food, is often not beneficial for our bodies. Eating potatoes every day is considered healthy. One serving is on average about 200 grams of potato.
Generally, an intake of up to one milligram of solanine per kilogram of your body weight is considered tolerable. This means that with a weight of 65 kilograms you can consume 65 milligrams of solanine relatively safely.
In numbers, this means that you could theoretically eat a maximum of 650 grams of potato peel, if we follow the WHO values (see above). That would be three times more than the recommended daily portion. We would therefore advise you not to do so.
However, I have also read that warnings are issued for a portion of 400 grams of baked potatoes. Just stick to the recommended daily ration of 200 to 250 grams and you are on the safe side.
For me as a peeling muffle, this is really good news!
Attention: Children who have a low body weight and pregnant women should refrain from eating the dish as a precaution!
Did you know that you can cook potatoes in the microwave?
Can you eat potato skin if chemical agents were used in its cultivation?
It is no secret that potatoes are treated with sprout or mold inhibitors. After all, the demand is to be met by the markets all year round. However, the German potato season only runs from June to the end of October.
A popular chemical agent in cultivation is chlorpropham. This is harmful to health.
Fortunately, this sprout inhibitor degrades in the course of storage of the potatoes. The harvested potatoes are usually put on sale only after a few weeks and the maximum permissible amounts of sprout or mold inhibitors are not exceeded.
Potatoes that have been treated must be marked with an information label. By the way, organic potatoes must not be treated with these chemicals. So if you want to be sure and eat the potato skin, you should ask the farm near you if you can buy organic potatoes there.
That's how I do it in the meantime. I know that the potatoes come from my region and I think they taste even better.
Or you simply puts potatoes on the balcony itself. This works even in a simple flower pot. You don't need much space for it either. The taste is unsurpassable!
By the way, in the photo you can see a picture of crispy potato skins from the oven. You can make a really tasty snack out of them.
What to watch out for when you eat potato skin
If you have potatoes at home, you can still change the solanine content by storing and preparing them.
We have already explained that moisture and light increase the formation of solanine. So always store the tubers in a dark and dry place. Usually the cellar or a storage room is well suited for this.
When you peel potatoes, you reduce solanine exposure by up to 90 percent. The plant protection toxin is actually mostly in the skin. Unfortunately, you also lose many vitamins and minerals during cooking.
Therefore, our tip: Only peel the potatoes after cooking if you absolutely want to remove the skin. The cooking water should be discarded, as up to 10 percent of the solanines can be found there. The same applies to frying fat. Solanine is heat-stable and is not destroyed during cooking, frying or deep-frying.
If you don't want to peel the potatoes completely, like I do, you still have to remove the "eyes" and green parts before eating. If the potato is already damaged or has really sprouted a lot, you should discard it. The same applies if it already tastes bitter. The more bitter a potato tastes, the higher its solanine content.
We have summarized the most important tips for you:
- store potatoes cool, dark and dry
- before eating remove the sprouts and green spots
- do not reuse the potato water or frying fat
- damaged, dried and sprouting potatoes should be discarded
- prefer fresh and large potatoes (less skin in relation to more potato)
If you follow this advice, you can eat baked potatoes with potato skins and really enjoy it.
Our conclusion
For all peelers, this is really good news. Yes, you can eat potato peels, but only in certain quantities. The toxins that serve to protect plants can also be harmful to us humans in too large portions.
Fresh tubers in particular can usually be eaten with the potato skin on, as the solanine content only increases with longer storage.
I'm going to make myself a portion of baked potatoes with cottage cheese. Finally with the good conscience that I can leave the peel on.
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