Ways to tell if potatoes have solanine...

[Sony]

Just had some delicious red bliss potatoes that I picked up at the farmers' market...simply boiled, little butter, salt and pepper. Enjoyed almost every single one, but the last one still has my mouth "tingling" even after brushing my teeth and rinsing with mouthwash.

I suspect it had a high concentration of solanine, but none of them had even the slightest trace of green color. Does anyone have any advice for picking potatoes? Or how to get this weird sensation out of my mouth ?

[russ parsons]

this is something that sometimes happens with truly "new" potatoes that have been freshly dug and sold without curing. to me, it adds a pleasant bitterness that makes for an interesting spud.

incidentally, solanine is not caused by/does not cause the green color in potatoes--that's chlorophyll as a result of exposure to sunlight. the two frequently happen at the same time, though. but solanine is also exaggerated by anything that threatens the potato--from excessively wet fields to insect infestations (it's a natural pesticide).

[Sony]

These were freshly-dug potatoes. I'd only ever heard about sunlight exposure CAUSING solanine production. Now I know better.

I've just moved to upstate NY, but I believe it's been an unusually wet growing season here. I wish I were pleasantly surprised by the tanginess/bitterness, but I guess my tastes are less complex.

Thanks for the infomation, Russ!

[lperry]

Solanine occurs in all plants in the family Solanaceae. This includes eggplants, tomatoes, peppers etc. Commercially grown potatoes are usually tested for solanine content to keep it at safe levels. It can build up after testing, however, if the potatoes are exposed to a lot of sunlight in the store. Like Russ said, the potato thinks it is exposed and is protecting itself from an herbivore by producing a nasty compound. If you are worried about the effects of too much of the compound, taste the potatoes. Solanine is bitter.

-L

[adegiulio]

  Solanine is bitter.

-L

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And, at least in my experience, very long lasting. I can still taste this horrible stuff in the back of my mouth for 10-20 minutes after eating...

[Sony]

And, at least in my experience, very long lasting. I can still taste this horrible stuff in the back of my mouth for 10-20 minutes after eating...

Yep, that was the weird thing. The solanine taste this time was so potent and persistent.

It's interesting that every potato in this batch doesn't taste bitter. Maybe 20% of them. For now, unless I can find a way to identify the culprits, I've resorted to peeling them. This seems to help but I lose a yummy, nutritious layer of flavor. Boo.

[PatyGirl]

Guys, what is solanine?

[Maliaty]

Guys, what is solanine?

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Harold McGee has a good summary on his blog (scroll down the page).

http://curiouscook.blogspot.com/

regards

Maliaty