Why does the potato become black after cooking and how can this be prevented?

Potato has long been a leader on the daily and festive table. It is served as a separate dish and used as an ingredient. In order for the side dish to have an appetizing appearance, it is necessary to know why the potatoes blacken after cooking and what needs to be done to avoid this.

How to cook potatoes?

The product must be washed and cleaned before cooking. Potatoes should be placed in salt and hot water, rather than in cold water. So the product will save more vitamins and nutrients. The liquid in which potatoes were brewed can be used for cooking vegetarian soups and broths.

If you cook "in uniform", then the dish will be much more useful. But it should be borne in mind that on the surface of the tubers and in the peel there is a glycoside of solanine - it is a poisonous and bitter substance. If the potatoes are sprouted, then it must be thoroughly cleaned. In the case when the product grows in fertilized soils, after cleaning it should be kept in cold water for about half an hour.

Why is the potato getting dark?

Probably every housewife thought about why boiled potatoes turn black. The reason for this is of a chemical nature. The tubers contain amino acid tyrosine, which begins to oxidize and form a pigment melanin. It is he who stains potatoes in a dark color.

On an industrial scale, this problem is solved with the aid of sulfur dioxide (sulfur dioxide), which is treated with the product. This substance has reducing properties. At home, the potatoes can be dropped into boiled water and cover the container with a lid to prevent oxygen from entering.

How to avoid excessive softness of potatoes?

When cooking, the potato becomes soft because the polymer molecules of protopectin are destroyed and pass into molecules of pectin, which is soluble. In this case, cations of magnesium and calcium are extracted from the tubers. If the water is hard, then this process is much slower. Therefore, potatoes must be placed in dishes earlier than acidic spices and foods, otherwise it will remain unprocessed and tough.

How to determine which potatoes will turn black?

In an attempt to find an answer to the question of why the potato turns black after cooking, one must have an idea of the cause of this phenomenon. Darkening after cooking is different from the one that is formed on the raw product. There is a method that allows you to determine which tubers will turn black. To do this, it is necessary to treat potatoes with a solution of sodium nitrite, into which diluted hydrochloric acid is added, and then lubricate with caustic sodium. Within a few minutes the treated area will begin to blush.

Is dark potato dangerous?

The housewives are interested not only in the fact that when cooking potatoes turn black, but whether it is dangerous for health. Experts argue that such a product can be safely eaten.

Gardeners recommend observing the correct proportions of fertilizers. Synthesis can be disrupted if there is a large amount of nitrogen, but little potassium. This will lead to the accumulation of proteins and amino acids. Therefore, it is worth taking care of a sufficient amount of potassium.

To avoid darkening, you need to keep the potatoes before frost in a dry and cool place. Then the tubers will have time to dry and cool. If immediately put the product in the basement, then there will be physiological changes and the tubers will darken during cooking. In the event that this is not possible for some reason, it is necessary to hold the potatoes before cooking for a while in cold water.

Storage and ventilation

To understand why the potato becomes black after cooking, it will be useful to learn the rules of its storage. Darkening can be caused not only by over-compacted soil, but also by insufficient ventilation during storage. This leads to the fact that the potato is not enough air, and it begins to "choke". To avoid this, it is necessary to regularly ventilate the premises and carefully inspect the vegetables that are there. Do not store products that have begun to rot or are damaged.

Temperature and humidity are also important. Evaporin can cause rapid growth of mold, which absorbs oxygen. All wet tubers should be dried thoroughly.

Harvesting and transportation

The answer to the question of why the potato turns black after cooking may be the failure to follow the rules of harvesting and transportation. When collecting potatoes, do not throw it and allow it to get damaged. When storing it is very important to ensure that the conditions are always optimal.

How to cook frozen potatoes?

If the product is frozen, it must be thawed in cold water. When there will be an ice crust around the potato, you need to change it and add a little salt.

To make it easier to peel potatoes "in a uniform", after cooking it is necessary to pour it with cold water.

Secrets of cooking boiled potatoes

Experienced cooks advise that when cooking potatoes, add a little vinegar to the water. This will not only prevent darkening, but will also contribute to the fact that the product does not boil.

Potatoes "in a uniform" will not be boiled, if the water is poured a little more than is required for ordinary cooking.

Those varieties of potatoes that are considered to be mealy often boil very hard, so it is worth adding brine to the water with cucumbers or cabbage, and then a little more vinegar. Boil this product better on a small fire, so that the starch swells evenly.

One of the reasons why black boiled potatoes turns black may be that it is "old". In this case, when cooking, you can add a small amount of milk.

If you prepare potatoes will not be immediately after cleaning, it is better to keep it in cold water, which is added a drop of vinegar. It should be salted in the beginning of cooking, so more vitamins and useful ingredients will remain.

Where to keep peeled potatoes?

We have already figured out why the potato becomes black after cleaning. This is due to the fact that the compounds that are contained in the product interact with air, and this, in turn, causes the oxidation process. This can be avoided by pouring root crops with water with the addition of vinegar.