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How do we keep potatoes from sprouting?
Potatoes are one of the most common ingredients in our daily lives, rich in nutrients, good taste, and nutrition, and are very popular. In addition to being a vegetable, the potato is the fourth most-produced grain and is considered a coarse grain. There is no one who does not like potatoes. They have a comprehensive and balanced nutritional value and can be eaten to strengthen the body. Potatoes can be prepared in a variety of ways, from spicy and sour shredded potatoes to soft and tasty grilled chicken. It is very common for potatoes to sprout from prolonged storage, high temperatures, and direct sunlight on their surface, which is a reaction to the effects of an alkaloid.
This alkaloid, also found in eggplant and unripe tomatoes, is soluble in water and is corrosive and hemolytic. Symptoms of poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, and neurotoxicity, which can lead to death in severe cases. Normal potatoes also contain this alkaloid but at very low levels. Since this alkaloid is water-soluble and breaks down easily in the presence of vinegar or heat, there is no need to worry about poisoning when eating potatoes normally. However, when potatoes sprout or turn green, their alkaloid content increases significantly. In general, potatoes are sprouted or moldy, which means they already contain large amounts of alkaloids.
Absorbing very small amounts of alkaloids in our bodies does not necessarily have significant harmful effects. But our body can develop diseases in a very short period of time if we absorb a large number of alkaloids at once. The most common symptoms are itching of the mouth and throat, pain in the upper abdomen, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. If the symptoms are mild, they will be cured by their own detoxification function after a period of time. However, if a large number of alkaloids are absorbed, the symptoms will be severe, manifested as increased body temperature, repeated vomiting leading to water loss, and also dilated pupils, fear of light, tinnitus, convulsions, breathing difficulties, blood pressure drop, and very few people can die due to respiratory paralysis.
So, how do you keep potatoes from sprouting? The more common method here in the countryside is to put them in the cellar, which is cold and impervious to light, so potatoes are difficult to sprout and can usually be kept until the next year. The second method is to wash the potatoes, put them in water, and add a small amount of salt (about 10 grams) to the water, mix well and soak the potatoes for a minute or two, then take them out and put them in a cool and ventilated place so that the water on the surface of the potatoes drains completely, wrap the potatoes in plastic wrap and put them in a sealed bag, and finally put the sealed bag in a cool and ventilated place. Put the bag in a cool and ventilated place. A third method is to seal the potatoes in plastic wrap and place them in a cool, light-proof freezer to prevent them from sprouting.
If we have a lot of potatoes, we can prepare a cardboard box, put a layer of potatoes in the bottom of the box, then put cardboard or thick white paper, then put the second layer of potatoes, that is, between the first layer of potatoes and the second layer of potatoes divided into cardboard or thick white paper, and then put the potatoes to be stored in this way layer by layer. In this way, even if a layer of potatoes is moldy, will not contaminate another layer. The purpose of sealing the carton is to keep the potatoes out of the light so they don't sprout easily.
If we keep only a small amount of potatoes, there is a very simple way to put potatoes and apples together, because apples release ethylene gas, which acts as a ripening agent for many fruits but will effectively inhibit the rate of potato sprouting. This is done by placing the potatoes in a plastic bag and then placing an apple inside. A potato-to-apple ratio of 10:1 is usually sufficient. So if we want to store a small number of potatoes for a long time, we can seal the apples and potatoes together in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer, where the light and cold temperatures can help delay sprouting. However, the ethylene released by the apples only delays the sprouting of the potatoes, but does not stop it completely, so you can generally store small amounts of potatoes for about 2 months using the method described above, but not much longer.
Original by dawnxisoul393
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