Storing: Mold on Potato Ok?

Subject: Mold on Potato Ok?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Stressed (Hate2Stress at gmail.com)
Date: 8 May 2005 14:59:54 -0700
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If you scrub the mold off of a potato, is it ok to eat? I say no, my husband thinks it's alright. Thank you.
From: Dee Randall (deedovey at shentel.net)
Date: Sun, 8 May 2005 18:10:07 -0400
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I wouldn't eat it myself -- however, I even cover my potatoes from daylight to keep them from becoming green, so be guided accordingly. What's a potato cost -- probably less than something you might discard on your plate because you're too full to eat it.
From: Stressed (Hate2Stress at gmail.com)
Date: 9 May 2005 09:51:08 -0700
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Sorry, I should have been more clear. It wasn't green, it was patches of black stuff, I thought that was mold. I always thought the green was from exposure to sun, I'm glad to know that's true. Does anyone know about black patches on potatoes?

Cost of more potatoes wouldn't be a problem, but time was. We live in the middle of nowhere, so we couldn't just run out to the store. The potatoes were to be a special Mothers Day treat for me. He bought me the largest one he could find. It was going to be baked, piled high with real butter, real sour cream and full fat cheese. I eat this maybe twice a year. We will be going out to dinner in August, I think I will have one then.
From: Dee Randall (deedovey at shentel.net)
Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 13:05:31 -0400
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Stressed wrote:
> Sorry, I should have been more clear. It wasn't green, it was patches
> of black stuff, I thought that was mold.

I've always wondered what this black discoloration is on potatoes that been boiled or peeled-and-baked and let set in the refrigerator overnight (to use the next morning for frying). This black discoloration wasn't there when they came out of the oven or boiling water. Any ideas? Or is this another question I'll pose at the Pearly Gates?
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 15:27:48 +0100
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Dee Randall wrote:
> I've always wondered what this black discoloration is on potatoes that been
> boiled or peeled-and-baked and let set in the refrigerator overnight (to use
> the next morning for frying). This black discoloration wasn't there when
> they came out of the oven or boiling water.

Enzymatic degradation of starches perhaps? I know at least a lot of starches blacken with exposure to oxygen or other oxidising substances. I do know it's harmless, mind you.
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 15:29:52 +0100
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Stressed wrote:
> Sorry, I should have been more clear. It wasn't green, it was patches
> of black stuff, I thought that was mold. I always thought the green was
> from exposure to sun, I'm glad to know that's true. Does anyone know
> about black patches on potatoes?

If it was a fresh, unpeeled potato, and the black was on the skin itself, then yes, likely it was just a surface mold, probably a mildew of sorts - I would have no problem eating the potato if it were peeled to white and washed first, none at all.
From: Peter Aitken (paitken at CRAPnc.rr.com)
Date: Sun, 08 May 2005 22:41:56 GMT
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Stressed wrote:
> If you scrub the mold off of a potato, is it ok to eat? I say no, my
> husband thinks it's alright. Thank you.

Is the skin turning green? That's not mold but a nrmal part of potato development. See http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g1437.htm for more info.
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 8 May 2005 16:31:20 -0700
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Peter Aitken wrote:
> Is the skin turning green? That's not mold but a nrmal part of potato
> development. See http://ianrpubs.unl.edu/horticulture/g1437.htm for more
> info.

It may be normal development, but it's best not to eat potatoes that turn green. They are mildly toxic to most people. If you cut away the green part, cut well beyond where the green is visible. -aem
From: Food For Thought (ri_ceroni at yahoo.com)
Date: 8 May 2005 19:36:30 -0700
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aem wrote:
>It may be normal development, but it's best not to eat potatoes that
>turn green

You quoted a post with a link you obviously didn't read. ;-)
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 10 May 2005 09:47:36 -0700
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Food For Thought wrote:
> You quoted a post with a link you obviously didn't read. ;-)

Oh horseshit. The original question had already been answered. I commented on the drift. -aem
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 10 May 2005 07:45:44 -0700
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Stressed wrote:
> If you scrub the mold off of a potato, is it ok to eat? I say no, my
> husband thinks it's alright. Thank you.

Potatoes are subject to myriad diseases.

A common tuber disease is Rhizoctonia or black scurf. This fungal disease is characterized by small, irregular black patches on the tuber surface. These patches, called "sclerotia," look just like dried-on soil. Unlike soil, however, these patches won't rinse off easily.

Simply peel and use.
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Tue, 10 May 2005 16:24:17 +0100
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Sheldon wrote:
> Potatoes are subject to myriad diseases.
>
> A common tuber disease is Rhizoctonia or black scurf. This fungal
> disease is characterized by small, irregular black patches on the tuber
> surface. These patches, called "sclerotia,"

Are you *certain* you have the right word there?

"n. pl. scle·ro·ti·a (-sh-, -sh)
A dense mass of branched hyphae, as in certain fungi, that contain stored food and are capable of remaining dormant for long periods.

[New Latin, from Greek sklrots, hardness, from sklros, hard.]"

Truffles are sclerotia.

Shaun aRe - Bit of a fungiphile.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 10 May 2005 09:37:31 -0700
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Shaun aRe: Dimwit scrawled:

> Are you *certain* you have the right word there?

Are you *certain* you have the correct reference there... dictionarys are notoriously worthless for abstractions.

> "n. pl. scle·ro·ti·a (-sh-, -sh)
> A dense mass of branched hyphae, as in certain fungi, that contain stored
> food and are capable of remaining dormant for long periods.
>
> [New Latin, from Greek sklrots, hardness, from sklros, hard.]"
>
> Truffles are sclerotia.

Uni-dimensional thinking... can't even comprehend his own reference... did anyone ever tell you that you are functionally illiterate, you are you know, most definitely... you've just demonstated that you have the IQ of a potato, mashed. You're way too dumb to succeed at being a LOUD MOUTH. I'm positive yours is the lowest IQ of all who've subscribed to rfc during the past five year period. Typical internet/usenet Newbie, with hair trigger keyboard. Didn't yer momma teach you to put pea-brain into gear before opening yap. Had only you'd known how to do an internet search for <potato diseases>. DUH

There's a 'zillion' of em:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/plymouth/pubs/scurf.html [archive.org]

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Potato_Rhizoctonia.htm

Sheldon (grows/knows spuds)
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 15:21:06 +0100
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Sheldon wrote:

> "Uni-dimensional thinking... can't even comprehend his own reference..."

My question of you was not an accusation, it was a request for clarification. The mold you described jarred with the definition of sclerotia I had come across - I wanted to be sure you used the right word in that context, so that I could ad that information to memory and therefore broaden my knowledge base.

Now, if of course you would care to, could you explain how the above applies to this potato mold? I really am genuinely curious - as I said previously, I'm a bit of a (admittedly very amateur) fungiphile.

"did anyone ever tell you that you are functionally illiterate, you are you know, most definitely... you've just demonstated that you have the IQ of a potato, mashed. You're way too dumb to succeed at being a LOUD MOUTH. I'm positive yours is the lowest IQ of all who've subscribed to rfc during the past five year period."

No Sheldon, only you, but it's more or less the same formulaic response you fire off to people here on a reagular basis, and it doesn't bother me in the least. ',;~}~

I must admit though to being a little upset, that you didn't even put in one half of a new thought before you attempted your (f)laming of me. <Sniffle> ;-(

"Typical internet/usenet Newbie, with hair trigger keyboard."

Ha! Hilarious - I ask you a question, you fire off (as you so often do) your little tirade, then accuse me of having a hair trigger keyboard. You do realise the irony of that, don't you Shelly-Welly?

"Didn't yer momma teach you to put pea-brain into gear before opening yap."

<Sigh> If only she'd have been your mother too, maybe she would have also taught you to do such.

"Had only you'd known how to do an internet search for <potato diseases>. DUH"

> There's a 'zillion' of em:

Thanks for the links - I will take a look at them shortly - I'm sure I will find the information both interesting and informative. However if I do not, I will come right back here and mercilessly flame the living shit out of you of course, but surely you would expect no less of me, nor would I expect you to give any less were the tables turned. ',;~}~

> "Sheldon (grows/knows spuds)"

Good for you! We grow them too, only for ourselves mind you, but we do rather well.

While this is on my mind, may I pick yours for a little information regarding growing potatoes?

We were told (rather my wife was while studying horticulture) not to waste our time and money buying commercial 'seed potatoes' (we're only talking small grows here, allotment grows etc. if this makes a difference), rather to just buy the kind we liked at a s/market, and plant those when they went to seed. He gave her his reasons, and since then, experimenting has backed up that reasoning.

Various types of commercial seed potatoes, planted at different times and different locations, when compared to store bought ones in the same situations, yielded comparatively poorly, suffered much more from disease, and were attacked rather heavily by pests. The crops were also poorer in flavour (with the crops from the store bought having vastly more flavour than the originals too).

Could you, if you please, elucidate as to why this is/maybe, and also, with the above (at least seemingly) being the case, why do people still buy expensive seed potatoes?

Cheers!
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 11 May 2005 07:49:26 -0700
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Shaun aRe wrote:
> Various types of commercial seed potatoes, planted at different times and
> different locations, when compared to store bought ones in the same
> situations, yielded comparatively poorly, suffered much more from disease,
> and were attacked rather heavily by pests. The crops were also poorer in
> flavour (with the crops from the store bought having vastly more flavour
> than the originals too).
>
> Could you, if you please, elucidate as to why this is/maybe, and also, with
> the above (at least seemingly) being the case, why do people still buy
> expensive seed potatoes?

You're likely a cheap bastard and other folks are not...

Seed potatoes are treated with fungicides, insecticides, and hormones to accelerate initial growth... as are most all veggie seed. Do not eat or feed wildlife leftover veggie seed. Seed potatoes are not more costly... and those from the stupidmarket are generally hybrids that won't reproduce.

Small home gardens are not to save money, almost always costs more than store bought... it's a hobby... I just added 15 yds of topsoil at $400, I'm already operating at a loss and I didn't even plant yet, first gotta start up my $800 rototiller - it will never pay for itself. I've been gardening all my life and have yet to save my first penny, have no expectations I ever will.
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:24:40 +0100
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Sheldon wrote:

> You're likely a cheap bastard and other folks are not...

Did you actually read the above? It was a lecturer in horticulture that made the suggestion, and when experiments were carried out, the results bore him out. This isn't conjecture, it isn't anecdote, it is personal experience.

> Seed potatoes are treated with fungicides, insecticides, and hormones
> to accelerate initial growth... as are most all veggie seed.

Duh.

> Do not
> eat or feed wildlife leftover veggie seed.

Well no shit Sherlock - give the man a fucking shiny foil prize, sheesh...

> Seed potatoes are not more
> costly...

Oh, and you're in England now are you? I can tell you in no uncertain terms, seed potatoes in all the places we've seen over here are in the region of 5x the price, not w/w, but potato for potato.

> and those from the stupidmarket are generally hybrids that
> won't reproduce.

Which is why we manage to harvest heaps of potatoes grown from them each year I suppose.

> Small home gardens are not to save money, almost always costs more than
> store bought... it's a hobby...

I know it's a hobby, it just so happens we prefer the potatoes we grow to those we buy, and *it also just so happens* they cost us virtually nothing but fertile ground.

> I just added 15 yds of topsoil at $400,
> I'm already operating at a loss and I didn't even plant yet, first
> gotta start up my $800 rototiller - it will never pay for itself. I've
> been gardening all my life and have yet to save my first penny, have no
> expectations I ever will.

Diddums.
From: Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com)
Date: 11 May 2005 07:57:38 -0700
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Shaun aRe wrote:
[big snip]
> Thanks for the links - I will take a look at them shortly - I'm sure I will
> find the information both interesting and informative.

Had you actually possessed an IQ you'd have checked out those websites, etal, BEFORE overflowing yer yap... you haven't what it takes to learn... I meet your type nearly every day... losers who dive into the pool without looking because they think they know *everything*. I can always pick out the brain dead, they have to respond to EVERY thread.
Subject: Re: Mold on Potato Ok?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:26:19 +0100
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Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com) wrote:

Shaun aRe wrote:

> > > A common tuber disease is Rhizoctonia or black scurf. This fungal
> > > disease is characterized by small, irregular black patches on the tuber
> > > surface. These patches, called "sclerotia,"
> >
> > Are you *certain* you have the right word there?
[rest snipped]

Had you actually possessed an IQ you'd have checked out those websites, etal, BEFORE overflowing yer yap... you haven't what it takes to learn... I meet your type nearly every day... losers who dive into the pool without looking because they think they know *everything*. I can always pick out the brain dead, they have to respond to EVERY thread.

Sheldon
Subject: Re: Mold on Potato Ok?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 16:31:31 +0100
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Sheldon (PENMART01 at aol.com) wrote:

<snip more of Shelly's ignorant ranting bullshit>

> I can always pick out the brain

You certainly picked your own out Shelly. Did you throw it on your hobby gardner's compost heap with the rotten sprouts then? If you'd had even half an ounce of forethought you'd have replaced it with one of those sprouts before they rotted completely and vastly improved your quality of life.

You're nothing but an ignorant, opinionated filthy, big-mouthed, cock-sucking gutter-whore, and what's more, you obviously already know and revel in that fact.

Cheers!

Shaun aRe
Subject: Re: Mold on Potato Ok?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: 11 May 2005 10:04:33 -0700
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Shaun aRe wrote:
> [big snip]
> Various types of commercial seed potatoes, planted at different times
> and different locations, when compared to store bought ones in the
> same situations, yielded comparatively poorly, suffered much more
> from disease, and were attacked rather heavily by pests. The crops
> were also poorer in flavour (with the crops from the store bought
> having vastly more flavour than the originals too). [snip]

Just in case you're actually looking for information and not just entertaining yourself with Sheldon, I'll say that I think your experience is the exception rather than the rule. At least it is the opposite of our experience. We have planted both seed potatoes and store bought ones as you did, but we found that the seed potatoes were significantly more productive and less subject to pests. I will say that the store bought ones were actually from a farmers market and sold as "organic" so they likely had no pesticides, but then the seed potatoes weren't supposed to be 'treated' either. In both cases they were not ordinary russets or white boiling varieties. Some were 'Russian' fingerlings, some were purple. Potatoes take a lot of space and a lot of patience, but it is quite fun to harvest them and the quality of a truly 'new' potato is unbeatable. At this week's farmers market I'll ask the guys at the potato stand for their opinion on this.

If they say anything useful I'll post it. -aem
Subject: Re: Mold on Potato Ok?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Shaun aRe (shaun_are at zenlunatics.co.uk)
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 13:17:34 +0100
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aem (aem_again at yahoo.com) wrote:
> Shaun aRe wrote:
> > [big snip]
> > Various types of commercial seed potatoes, planted at different times
> > and different locations, when compared to store bought ones in the
> > same situations, yielded comparatively poorly, suffered much more
> > from disease, and were attacked rather heavily by pests. The crops
> > were also poorer in flavour (with the crops from the store bought
> > having vastly more flavour than the originals too). [snip]
>
> Just in case you're actually looking for information and not just
> entertaining yourself with Sheldon,

<Cough> Who me? Trolling trolls? Idonknowhatchoomean... <Cough...>

Actually, yes - I was looking for answers to those particular questions, thanks.

> I'll say that I think your
> experience is the exception rather than the rule. At least it is the
> opposite of our experience.

This is getting strange indeed!

> We have planted both seed potatoes and
> store bought ones as you did, but we found that the seed potatoes were
> significantly more productive and less subject to pests.

Hmmm, Kath's (my wife) all suffered terribly from being eaten alive, each time (seed sourced from different places too) and yielded poorly anyway. The store bought ones have been almost unstoppable! We actually have a lot with another crop nearly ready, just from the few spuds we missed when we dug out last winter - there's probably about half as many plants growing as we planted last time (the lot has just been left as we've got other projects underway, like out new polytunnel, some reorganising, and a big herb garden being built). The ones we put into the greenhouse soil bed during winter have exploded upwards and outwards and are VERY ready to be dug out now... strange!

> I will say
> that the store bought ones were actually from a farmers market and sold
> as "organic" so they likely had no pesticides, but then the seed
> potatoes weren't supposed to be 'treated' either. In both cases they
> were not ordinary russets or white boiling varieties.

These are just some pretty ordinary white potatoes this time, as they were the last, but they taste far from the ordinary spuds they started as, when we get them out - they seemingly always turn out *far* superior to the store ones.

> Some were
> 'Russian' fingerlings, some were purple. Potatoes take a lot of space
> and a lot of patience, but it is quite fun to harvest them and the
> quality of a truly 'new' potato is unbeatable.

You're telling me! We grow them every year, 1, 2 or 3 different times, and my wife did the same for years before we met. Can't beat digging them up, taking them home, washing, cooking and serving with lashings of locally produced small batch ultra creamy butter... <drool!>: ',;~}~

> At this week's farmers
> market I'll ask the guys at the potato stand for their opinion on this.
> If they say anything useful I'll post it. -aem

Thank you muchly - I'd really like the low down on all this.

Cheers!

Shaun aRe
May all your wishes be both wise and fulfilled.