Black Spots in Potatoes

[Bkworm]

The saga of the potatoes with black spots continues. For the past year plus, black spots in potatoes have continued to worsen, at least in our area. I have been having to throw out a good number of russet potatoes and even cut away a good third or more of most of those I end up using. While the Yukon Gold potatoes and the new potatoes have a few spots, the problem is primarily with the russet potatoes. I usually purchase the larger, loose russet potatoes instead of the bagged russet potatoes.

We primarily frequent one grocery chain in particular and usually their produce is top notch. Had spoke with the produce managers at the two stores we frequent the most. Very polite and even gave me a slip so I did not have to pay for a large selection of potatoes. Was told by one manager I was the first one to complain about the spots. So for the next week I kept the cut off portions of the potatoes in my freezer and then took them to him to see. Was told the chain has certain suppliers and all the local produce manager can do is stock the potatoes they are sent. I was told by the produce managers that I could always return the potatoes and receive my money back. All fine and good but who has time to return potatoes to the store when you are in the middle of preparing a meal?

Finally, this weekend I sat down and emailed the corporate office and received an immediate reply by email requesting additional info. Then on Monday received a telephone call from the head of produce for the chain. He went into a lengthy explanation that the spots are caused by bruising of the potatoes due to long-term storage of potatoes in vast basement-like warehouses. It seems that the potatoes in the stores currently have been stored since last September - October. I had indicated in the email everything that had happened when I spoke with the local produce managers. I have no complaint whatsoever with how they handled my inquiry locally as I know they don't do the ordering. I also pointed out once again that when I am in the middle of meal preparation I can't just stop everything to return potatoes. I also pointed out just how many potatoes I purchase in any given week and eat on a daily basis so I am something of an expert on potatoes.

I also pointed out that their competitors potatoes are in better shape for the most part. Still find black spots in the competitors' potatoes, just usually not as bad or as many spots. However, I purchased a bag of russet potatoes from one of their competitors yesterday and unfortunately they do contain a large number of spots and in addition to the spots, have some green peeling areas. I recently purchased two large, plain baked potatoes from a Wendy's Restaurant. They were huge, sweet, luscious potatoes with no spots and no paring necessary. If Wendy's can get such wonderful potatoes at this time of year, why can't the grocery stores?

Oh well, sure hope the russet potatoes are in better shape in your area. I am so tired of dealing with the black spots. Due to many other starches causing RA flares, potatoes are my main starch.

[VeggieSue]

Don't come to urban NJ if you're looking for good russets - they're not here and haven't been for a few years now. I've posted a few times complaining about them, both here and on my blog.

Just this past month I was able to get a total of 4 potatoes total from 3, 5-pound bags of them. The spuds in the bags looked great on the outside, what little of them you could actually *see* through the fully printed on bags, but once I got them home and washed layers of dirt off them (Do they dunk these in mud and let them dry so they look brown??), those previously dark brown potatoes were now neon green near the surface, and when cut, a pastel green through the entire potato.

You're lucky your store told you they would reimburse you - mine came right out and said no, that it must be my own fault they got green. Not when I try to cook them within an hour after getting them home, they're not!

I try not to choose recipes now that require russets. For baked potato meals, if I can't get decent Yukon Golds (They're as rare as good russets) I grab white potatoes. If it doesn't matter for some recipes, I use white or reds. And when I can, I just use those diced frozen hash browns. Those are *always* good to eat, with no black, green or moldy spots.

[Bkworm]

Thanks for your input VeggieSue. We are in Central Florida and Publix is the chain we purchase 95% of our produce. As I indicated, for the most part, their produce is the best in our area, top notch produce. It is a Publix store that Jeff Novick filmed some of his DVDs. I have no complaints about the chain at all most of the time, just the issue with the potatoes. Being native Floridians, my DH and I both grew up shopping at Publix with our mothers and have shopped with them all 41 years of our marriage. We have always been very satisfied with our shopping experience 98% of the time at least. I must say, I can't ever remember purchasing any potatoes from Publix with the greening issue. That was on potatoes purchased at Walmart. Have also purchased russet potatoes from Costco. They had no black spots but really tough skins. We like to eat the skins but not the ones on the Costco potatoes. Have also purchased potatoes from other competitors such as Fresh Market. Have never purchased any from WF, however. WF produce is too expensive for my budget.

Must say it is very gross to cut into a potato and find the huge spots. They tend to run from light grey to gross black with mold or fungus growing in them. Kinda turns me off eating potatoes but since I can't eat so many other starches, must use potatoes. I do use a lot of Yukon Gold and Red potatoes, too, but love a good russet potato.

Was told that the Yukon Gold and Red potatoes are currently being harvested fresh in Florida and VA at the moment so will stick to those for a bit. Most of their russet potatoes are from Idaho but some come from Texas.

Can't believe we just have to put up with it. It is assumed producers can just get away with storing them for a year and we have to put up with the spots. We talk about how cheap potatoes are in comparison to meat and dairy but when you have to pare away so much of a potato they end up not being all that cheap. Only way around it I guess is to start growing our own. However, we don't have green thumbs. Working on that but so far not having a lot of luck. Lots of trees around our property - neighbors' yards - and we don't get enough daily direct sunlight to really grow our own produce. We have removed some trees from our property but just too many huge trees in the neighbors' yards which block the sun on our property.

[Bkworm]

VeggieSue, you made another point. I had not noticed spots like these until the past year and a half or so. Sure don't remember dealing with the issue before that You mention it has become a problem in the past couple of years also. Did they just recently start storing potatoes for a year at a time? Is it because I am now eating so many potatoes that I have started to be so aware of the problem? Yes, there would be the occasional black spot that you could see on the outside of the potato but nothing like these that sometimes go through a third or half of a potato and aren't visible at all until you slice into the potato.

[VeggieSue]

We are in Central Florida and Publix is the chain we purchase 95% of our produce.

We lived in Kissimmee for a year back in 1999 and Publix is where we did the majority of our grocery shopping. Some stuff in one of the many Super Walmarts, a few times in Albertson's, but Publix was closest to our apartment complex so that's where we went. I never had a problem with anything from there, or *any* store in Florida, for that matter.

I don't remember any of Jeff's videos showing him *in* a Publix. I know he's *mentioned* the store a few times, but the Shopping School was filmed in Whole Foods. Of course, my memory is shot some times and he may have and I just don't remember.

[feenzis]

I only recently started eating potatoes, when I began the program March 1. I am appalled at the condition of the russets I find (Western PA). They look perfect on the outside and feel nice and firm, but inside there are black/gray areas, and sometimes, the middle of a beautiful potato will have a big crater in it, kind of star-shaped, with black radiating out from it. I am afraid now to bake russet potatoes because I don't trust them to be eatable when finished.

[MINNIE]

Cornell University has an interesting article on potato diseases here:

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell. ... ection.htm

I'm thinking that what you are seeing could be s#16 "black heart".

I see this pretty often in supermarket russets, and sometimes in other potatoes. I first noticed this about 5 or 6 years ago. It seems to come and go - sometimes the stores here have good potatoes for a while , then they don't.

I have better luck when I can buy potatoes from local growers at a farmers market, but store-bought is more of a gamble.

I never buy potatoes in plastic bags any more, because there always are some bad ones that can't be seen from the outside. Fortunately, most local groceries also sell them loose . I think the quality was better back when they used string or mesh bags.

[Spiral]

Here is another issue regarding potatoes I have been struggling with recently.

How green is green?

I find myself carefully examining potatoes to see if I can find a hint of green on them. Then, when I see a very, very, light shade of green, I wonder if I need to peel that part of the potato and throw the peeling away or if a hint of green is really anything to be worried about.

Makes me think I need to switch to sweet potatoes.

[VeggieSue]

See the green background on this site? That's almost the shade of green in the center of most of my potatoes. I describe the area right beneath the skin when I scratch the brown skin with a fingernail through the bag in the store, as neon green sometimes, it's so bright green. Lately the potatoes have been so layered in dirt that a fingernail scape doesn't't even reach the skin, just gets you to another layer of dirt.

[Jumpstart]

Here is some information on potato harvesting, storage and potential problems including black spots, greening and causes.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/fruit-vegetable/commercial-postharvest-handling-of-potatoes/

You then have the pros in Idaho answering questions

http://foodserviceblog.idahopotato.com/tag/black/


For more comprehensive answers from the boys in Idaho

http://www.idahopotato.com/faqs

[cena]

I open the bags of potatoes in the store and look at them closely. I refuse to buy green potatoes! The black hearts you can't tell till you cut them, but I don't care how obnoxious I look, I refuse to buy green ones. I have never been stopped. I have even had produce attendants help me.

[VeggieSue]

If the bags *could* be opened and looked at, that's a different story. But when bags are paper with a tiny window full of twine netting and sewn closed, or plastic, printed on almost every inch, and heat-sealed closed, then they can't be opened in the store and examined.

Someone said to buy loose potatoes. 2 of the 3 grocery stores that I go to don't have bins of loose potatoes any more, and the other has a small bin that holds maybe 2 dozen spuds total. I've seen how this bin gets stocked - a worker finds a bag of potatoes where most of the potatoes are obviously rotten. The bag gets opened, and any potatoes that aren't covered in slime are tossed in that bin, the rest of the bag gets tossed.

[Faith in DC]

Wow I haven't seen a potato bag like that since, gee, 1990s. I remember them well. I remember I hated them too because you couldn't see. They seemed to last longer in those bags though.

Anyway, I buy mine lose. Trying to find a non-green potato is hard. I love potatoes, but life is so much easier making rice.

Now this year, I am trying my hand at growing my own.

[bcmike]

Get mine at whole foods--99 cents a lb.--thank you very much. But rarely a clunker though i see some with
green tint. They do have the purple potatoes at times. With summer approaching the farmers mkts. have
yukon golds, can't wait for fresh produce.