Peel veg or not?

[nickyboy]

Offhand, radishes and tomatoes are the only veg I can think of that I don't peel.

That's wise, potato skin is poisonous.

Potatoes are from the same family as deadly nightshade, and the skins contain solanine, the same toxin.

Solanine levels are extremely low in all but "green" potato skins and ones that are sprouting. Other than those, they are entirely safe to eat

Peeling....old spuds yes, new spuds no. Carrots yes, your classic root veg (turnip, swede etc) yes

 

[Dogtrousers]

Did a bit of searching https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-25-fo-10418-story.html

TL;DR You'd have to eat a LOT of potatoes

Toxicity of Potato Skins Becomes a Hot Issue : Natural Chemicals in Peels Can Pose Problems If Eaten in Huge Quantities

The study found that consuming large amounts (more than 20 milligrams per 100 grams of fresh weight) of a group of the chemical compounds naturally present in potatoes could cause headaches, nausea and diarrhea. What the study did not state was the exact amount of potatoes one would need to eat to make a person sick.

When pressed, Gosselin estimated that consuming 10 to 50 potatoes at one sitting would do it. Mondy had noted in an interview reported in the Cornell University release that the variety of the potato, how much light and heat potatoes receive after harvest, weight and size of the potato and body weight of the individual eating the potato made it difficult to determine “categorically” just how many potatoes someone would have to eat in order to suffer ill effects

 

[Alex321]

I think it's only dangerous if the potatoe has sprouted and you eat the "eyes". But I could be wrong. I've never eaten raw potatoe skin, but I've eaten plenty of jacket potatoes with bits of eye on them (my mum was a no nonsense cook) and they do make the old tongue sting a bit but I've never died

I always understood that it is when the skin is green that it is poisonous. But I could be wrong.

I know it is generally Ok when cooked, but except new potatoes or baked potatoes, I normally do peel them.

I normally peel all root veg.

 

[MontyVeda]

The only veg i peel is carrots and parsnips (edit, and onion!) and the only reason i peel those is because i enjoy it. I'm sure just a wash would suffice.

Peeling potatoes is a parp I can't be bothered with unless they're really old spuds. Even for mash the skin stays on; gives it some texture and 'dirty mash' (as i call it) makes a pleasant change from the smooth white stuff

 

[Salty seadog]

Carrots yes and no depending on skin, swede, parsnip yes spuds yes,

Peas, no.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Peas, no.

You serve unpeeled peas? You utter barbarian.

 

[Salty seadog]

You serve unpeeled peas? You utter barbarian.

Proper council estate me.

 

[tyred]

When making stew, I always remove the tin.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I don't even wash apples

 

[figbat]

Spuds for mashing or roasting - yes.
Carrots - yes.
Parsnips - yes.
Swede - yes, the 2 or 3 times a year we might have them.

The only other thing I can think we peel with a peeler is mangoes.

 

[lazybloke]

Veg from the allotment- don't peel.
Veg from shops gets peeled or a good wash - I don't fancy all those pesticides.

 

[Salty seadog]

I don't even wash apples

When I was at sea one of the weirdest bits of food hygiene was that in the crew mess we could not mix fruit each fruit had to be in its own bowel.

 

[Alex321]

Spuds for mashing or roasting - yes.
Carrots - yes.
Parsnips - yes.
Swede - yes, the 2 or 3 times a year we might have them.

The only other thing I can think we peel with a peeler is mangoes.

I also use the peeler for butternut squash - though my wife prefers to use a knife for that.

 

[FishFright]

Offhand, radishes and tomatoes are the only veg I can think of that I don't peel.

That's wise, potato skin is poisonous.

Potatoes are from the same family as deadly nightshade, and the skins contain solanine, the same toxin.

The toxin is in flowers and possibly leaves too. As far as I know at least but if you have some serious science to back it up I'll never turn down education for free.

 

[classic33]

Me too. Presumably the cooking must get rid of the toxin. Is there not a starter in some restaurants that is potato peel based.

Avoid those with green spots or that have turned green.* They tend to have the greatest amount of solanine.

*Unless you're feeding them to someone you don't like.