What's Growing on this Potato?

[Shel_B]

This, and several like it, was found in a bag of Trader Joe's organic Yukon Gold potatoes. Perhaps someone here knows what it is and whether or not it poses any health risk.

 

The potatoes have been in the fridge for a couple of weeks, and did not have this growth on them when purchased.

 

[pastrygirl]

Safe to eat, just peel them. 

 

For more details, search 'potato skin scales'

[Alex]

10 hours ago, pastrygirl said:

Safe to eat, just peel them. 

 

Yes, definitely peel them. If you don't, you'll wind up looking like this: 

 

[liuzhou]

It's called skin.

 

You keep potatoes in the fridge? Why?

[JeanneCake]

When we moved into our house, one of the deep kitchen drawers (the bottom of three drawers)  had a sliding cover on it and my mother wanted to know what it was for - storing potatoes and onions.  We'd always kept them in the basement growing up so she was unfamiliar with it.  I thought the drawer was foolishly placed next to the oven!  We bought the house after the builder  made the countertops/cabinet/trim/door choices so we weren't able to pick our own.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

2 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

When we moved into our house, one of the deep kitchen drawers (the bottom of three drawers)  had a sliding cover on it and my mother wanted to know what it was for - storing potatoes and onions.  We'd always kept them in the basement growing up so she was unfamiliar with it.  I thought the drawer was foolishly placed next to the oven!  We bought the house after the builder  made the countertops/cabinet/trim/door choices so we weren't able to pick our own.

 

I store potatoes in the bedroom.

 

[Katie Meadow]

1 hour ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I store potatoes in the bedroom.

 

I'm sure that's the best place for them. There was an ongoing fifty year study on this, but of course it was recently axed.

[Shel_B]

My sister and I looked into this, and with the information gleaned from the AHDB Horticulture and Potatoes website have concluded that it's probably Powdery scab (Spongospora subterranea) or most likely Black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes), a fungus. While Black Dot is a mild disease it is also one of the most problematic blemish diseases of washed, pre-packed potatoes.

Edited 3 hours ago by Shel_B
Clarity of intent (log)

[gfweb]

13 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I store potatoes in the bedroom.

 

 

Bathroom has better humidity.