We all make food storage mistakes every once in a while. Remember, not everything goes in the fridge. What is the best way to store potatoes? Let’s find out.
What is your first instinct when it comes to putting away produce? Usually, it involves putting it in the fridge or a cool place, right?
While keeping some vegetables cool is important, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ approach – especially with potatoes. When potatoes are put into the fridge, their starch turns into sugar and they become tough.
Dr. Mercola, a leading physician and nutrition expert explains: “They might look OK, but when they’re cooked, they may emit harmful properties that they wouldn’t have, otherwise. They can become not just slightly shrunken and wrinkly, but potentially toxic.”
When potatoes are cooled down, an enzyme breaks down the sucrose (sugar) and turns it into fructose and glucose, which is the main source of energy for your body.
These two sugars combine with asparagine, an amino acid found in potatoes and form acrylamide when they are cooked, according to the Food Standards Agency.
However, this doesn’t happen with frozen potatoes, because sucrose isn’t broken down at very low temperatures.
Prevent Disease, a nutrition and health platform explains:
“Acrylamide is made by something called the Maillard reaction, which browns cooked foods and gives them their pleasing flavor. As sugars and amino acids react together, they produce thousands of different chemicals.
Particularly high levels of acrylamide are found in starchy foods, like potatoes and bread, when cooked at temperatures over 120 [degrees] C. The chemical can also be present in breakfast cereals, biscuits and coffee.”
Acrylamide forms when potatoes are at the point of charring, which is around 250 F.
What’s so bad about acrylamide?
In 2002, the Swedish National Food Authority confirmed that acrylamide is a potential cause of cancer.
Also, acrylamide has been shown to bind to DNA and cause mutations, plus animal studies have shown that it can cause cancer.
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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REFERENCES:
1. “Do You Know How to Store Potatoes?” Mercola.com. Mercola.com, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
2. “How Chilled Is Your Fridge?” Food Standards Agency. Food Standards Agency, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
3. “Why You Should Never Store Potatoes In The Garage, Fridge Or At Low Temperatures.” Prevent Disease. Prevent Disease, n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2017.
