Roots · Potato
How to pick a good Potato
Pick firm, heavy potatoes — smooth, clean skin with no green or sprouts
How to pick
Firm potatoes with smooth clean skin and no green tinge. Heavy for size, no sprouts, no soft spots. Store-light exposure turns skin green — that's a signal to skip.
Red flags
- Green patches on the skin — indicates elevated glycoalkaloids (solanine and chaconine), natural compounds that can cause GI upset
- Sprouted eyes — indicates aging and higher glycoalkaloid levels; lightly sprouted potatoes with sprouts and surrounding flesh removed are generally safe, but heavily sprouted tubers should be discarded
- Shriveled or wrinkled skin — moisture lost; texture degrades — dry and mealy in starchy varieties, rubbery and dense in waxy ones
- Soft spots, dark mushy areas, or a musty, moldy, or rotting smell
How to store
Cool, dark, dry place — pantry or paper bag, **not the fridge** (cold converts starch to sugar, alters flavor and can form acrylamide when fried). Keep away from onions. Lasts 2–3 weeks at room temperature; up to 2–3 months in a cool (45–50 °F [7–10 °C]), dark, ventilated space.
In the app
Scan
In the aisle, in seconds
Point the camera: pick or pass for that exact item, and the cue to trust next time.
Season where you live · Nutrients · Taste · Myths · Ayurveda
Free to install.
More to pick
Picking, storage, and freshness guidance is drawn from peer-reviewed postharvest research and agricultural extension sources. The sources are named in the app.