Get the answer , then stick around for 2 signs that you ’ve cook your spuds to a good temperature .
Rachel Marek
Many token in the produce gangway are A - OK to deplete raw ; some are even better that way rather than cook . Case in point : Nearly every genial ofpre - water-washed super C , crisp and cleancucumbers , and in most caseful , watermelon . ( Although we do savor the smoky calibre that result after wedges of that juicy , crimson - ruby melon takes a short shift onthe grill ! ) .
Credit:Rachel Marek
Mostfruits and vegetablescan be enjoyed either way , cutting or cooked , while a few should be cook to be safe to consume . Understandably , it ’s baffling to know and think where every invigorated produce item fall on this spectrum .
We ’ve had a few readers indite in to need us,“can you feed raw potatoes?”Let ’s dig in with the help of our Test Kitchen .
Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand name manager
The Benefits of Eating Raw Potatoes
In the amount that an average human might consume , peeled potatoes are safe to eat , according toIdaho Potatoes .
“ bare-ass white potato vine are considerablyhigher in vitamin Cthan their cook counterparts , ” Sarah Brekke , M.S.,Better Homes & GardensTest Kitchen brand manager . “ Vitamin C is an authoritative antioxidant that helps boost theimmune system . ”
Brekke adds that in their uncooked state , raw white potato vine are also higher inresistant starch , a type of amylum that can not be break down in the small intestine . This eccentric of amylum proceeds into the large bowel , where it feeds good bowel bacteria . As a result , “ immune amylum which has been linked to better digestive health , improved insulin sensitiveness , and reduced rip loot levels , ” Brekke says .
Those latter two item are especially beneficial for folks withprediabetes and type 2 diabetes . Other sources ofresistant starchinclude lentils , ashen beans , green banana tree , oats , barleycorn , as well as cooked and cool rice .
The Drawbacks of Eating Raw Potatoes
On the snotty-nosed side , there are some serious reasons why you would n’t want to eat in the altogether potatoes .
“ There are some compounds in raw potatoes such as lectins and glycoalkaloids , that can actually interfere with the absorption of nutrients . These compounds do n’t typically make much of an impact on a person with a well - balanced diet , but for citizenry who already have a amylum - heavy dieting , this can have an effect on overall nutrition , ” Brekke say .
Let ’s break these down :
One final con of consuming bare-ass potatoes : Since spuds are grown in the ground , they will be covered with dirt , grime , and potentially , bacteria . lavation potatoesgenerally removes all of the above , butcooking to a dependable temperatureprovides an spare bed of surety that the bacterium have been egest .
Can You Eat Raw Potatoes?
Poison Controlconfirms that a bite or two should n’t do you any trouble , but as a general principle , it ’s wise to quash rust naked as a jaybird white potato .
Not only could they be dangerous , they also wo n’t be very pleasurable , Brekke says : “ Raw potatoes are fast , starchy , and kind of blistering to most masses . We do not recommend serving raw potatoes . In fact , we do n’t have a single instance of a recipe using raw white potato anywhere in our database of decade of thousands of recipes . ”
Besides being safe , more tender , and less bitter , “ potatoes that have been fake go through a coolheaded food science appendage call the ‘ Maillard reaction . ’ In this response , small sugar molecules determine in the carb - ample white potato vine respond with aminic acids in the bearing of heat do them to undergo a browning reaction result in desirable color , sapidity , and texture change , ” Brekke explain .
Can You Eat Raw Sweet Potatoes?
Potatoes and perfumed potatoes might go like they ’re siblings , but they’renot actually part of the same family . So you might be wondering , “ can you eat new sweet potatoes ? ”
Sweet potatoes and yamsaren’t nightshades , and as a consequence , the glcoalkaloids are n’t an issue . Raw sweet murphy may be tougher to digest than their fix twin . They ’re good to eat — and many sept do in thing likeslawsand spiralized salads . Still , we prefer themcooked via one of these 6 foolproof ways .
Potato Recipes to Try Now That You Know They’re Best Cooked
When you ’re shopping for orpicking Solanum tuberosum from your garden , bet for tubers that are “ solid , have relatively smooth skin with small bruising or blemishes , and should reek vulgar . If the skin seem green , it ’s best to run on these spud , ” Brekke says .
Once you ’ve bring your spud inside and have scrub them clean under running water , you ’re all fructify to put them to in effect employment in apotato casserole , potato soup , orbaked spud saloon . You ca n’t go unseasonable with spud as a side lulu , either ; try themfried , mashed , boiled , or our novel favorite way , Australian - Style Potato Scallops , which sports fan hold “ restaurant - quality ” and “ yummy and astonishingly gentle to make . ”
How to Tell That Your Potatoes Are Cooked Enough
No matter how you cook your potatoes , we recommend look on for one of these signs of doneness which can alarm you they ’ve crossed the line from rude to ready to eat :
