Tag: Rotten potatoes

Unlike mature potatoes, new potatoes have a shorter shelf life due to their thin skin and higher moisture content. Knowing how do you know when new potatoes are bad is crucial for food safety and preventing unnecessary waste, especially with their more delicate nature.

In a 2013 incident in Russia, an entire family died from asphyxiation caused by a massive amount of rotting potatoes in their cellar, which underscores the dangers behind a deceptively simple question: what does potato gas smell like?. The answer is complex, involving a variety of potent and unpleasant odors that signal severe spoilage and potential health hazards from bacterial decomposition.

While sensational tales of "toxic potato gas" are often exaggerated, rotting potatoes can release dangerous levels of carbon dioxide, posing a real asphyxiation risk in confined, unventilated spaces. Understanding this hazard, and how improper storage leads to toxic solanine in green potatoes, is vital for safety.

According to the Food and Drug Administration, potatoes stored improperly can develop toxic glycoalkaloids, like solanine, making them unsafe to eat. Knowing when should you not eat mini potatoes is vital for kitchen safety, as visual cues and texture changes are your first line of defense against foodborne illness.