What to do with sprouting potatoes? (7 ways to deal)
In this brief guide, we are going to answer the question, “What to do with sprouting potatoes?”, discuss why potatoes sprouts and how to prevent potatoes from sprouting.
What to do with sprouting potatoes?
If your potatoes are sprouting, you can go with any of the following way outs:
- You can make twice baked potatoes and freeze them to be used later.
- You can make freezer hash browns by baking, graning, and freezing them.
- You can make freezer home fries by baking, cutting, and freezing them.
- You can prepare mashed potatoes by boiling them.
- You can prepare baked potato soup by adding such potatoes to a slow cooker.
- You can stuff the baked potatoes with egg to make egg-stuffed baked potatoes.
- You can plant these potatoes if it’s the right time for plantation.
What do you mean by sprouting potato?
A sprouting potato is a wonder of reproductive botany. You can see numerous rounded root buds near the base of sprouts with pointed leaf buds at every stem tip with the help of a hand-held magnifying glass. The growing tip of sprouts is used to grow plants that grow normally in tissue culturing.
Why do potatoes sprout?
Potatoes sprout due to their ability to reproduce and create a new generation. They contain special cells in their buds that have the capability of becoming stems and roots. All they need to sprout is darkness and moisture, and these conditions are easily available in your kitchen.
Is it okay to eat sprouted potatoes?
Sprouted potatoes are still okay to be consumed, but only once you have removes the sprouts. Just make sure that the potatoes are still firm to the touch, don’t look too wrinkly and shriveled, and the sprouts are small.
How to remove sprouts from potatoes?
You can use a peeler to remove sprouts from the potatoes. This can be done in two ways depending on the type of peeler that you are using:
- If you are using a regular peeler, use its intentional scoop-shaped tip to dig out the sprout.
- If you are using a Y-shaped peeler, use the plastic tab present on its side to remove the sprouts.
How to prevent potatoes from sprouting?
To prevent potatoes from sprouting, you need to be well aware of their varieties. Choose potatoes that take a longer time to mature. Avoid storing potatoes with onions, because onions make potatoes sprout faster. If you are to store potatoes, keep them in a cool, dry, and dark place.
How to plant sprouted potatoes?
For getting healthier plants and more potatoes, you should keep a few things in your mind before planting sprouted potatoes:
- Wait for the right weather conditions
- The weather should be cool but not too cold
- Prepare potatoes
- Prepare potatoes either by Chitting or Cutting
- Choose and prepare a gardening site
- Choose a sunny spot
- Ensure that the soil is well-drained
- Adjust soil pH
- Adjust nutrients in the soil
- Dig trenches or choose the right container
- Plant the sprouted potatoes
- Use dried and scabbed over pieces of potato
- Cover them with 4 inches of soil
Other FAQs about Potatoes which you may be interested in.
How to tell if sweet potatoes are bad?
How to take care of potato plants?
Once you have planted the potatoes, it is important to take care of the following:
- Watering
Start watering the plant as it emerges from the soil. It will need a lot of water and grow rapidly. It is recommended not to water the plant during the early stages as this can lead to the rotting of potato sprouts.
- Hilling
For stronger and bigger potato plants, it is important to build a mound of soil around potato shoots. Doing so also helps in preventing the plant from sun damage.
When to harvest potatoes?
According to a study, potatoes are ready to harvest after 90-120 days (13-17 weeks) after planting the sprouted potatoes. If you wait for 2-3 weeks more, the potatoes will be mature and ready to harvest.
How to harvest potatoes?
For harvesting potatoes, you can simply dig by hands, by a trowel, or by a pitchfork.
- Digging by hand is a slower process to harvest potatoes, but chances of damaging and bruising potatoes are reduced to a minimum.
- Digging by trowel, pitchfork, or any other tool is a faster process, but there are more chances of damaging and bruising the potatoes.
How to store potatoes?
If stored under the right conditions, potatoes can last for up to 2 months. You can store potatoes either by transferring them in a breathable bag (like paper or mesh) or by putting them in a cardboard box and stash them in a cool, dry place.
Do not try to store potatoes in the fridge because the extra cool conditions will trigger the starches to convert to sugar. As a result, you will end up getting sweeter potatoes.
Conclusion:
In this brief guide, we answered the question “what to do with sprouting potatoes?”, discussed why potatoes sprouts and how to prevent potatoes from sprouting.
