Can you still eat onions and garlic if they sprout? These foods should not be stored for a long time

Many people often encounter sprouting vegetables, fruits, and root vegetables when preparing or storing food, leading to the question, "Can sprouted food still be eaten?" While some ingredients remain safe to eat after sprouting, others, once sprouted or spoiled, can produce toxins and pose health risks. Understanding which sprouted ingredients are safe to eat and which should be avoided is crucial for ensuring food safety.

4 Foods That Are Still Safe to Eat After Sprouting

1. Sprouted Spices:onion,garlic,ginger

Even if these common spices sprout, they won't produce harmful toxins. As long as they're stored properly and aren't moldy or rotten, sprouting is a natural phenomenon and they can still be eaten, though the flavor may change slightly.

2. Sprouts: alfalfa sprouts, pea sprouts, soybean sprouts, mung bean sprouts

This type of food is made through the germination process. After germination, not only will it not produce toxins, but it will increase the fiber content and have even higher nutritional value. It is a common and high-quality choice in a healthy diet and can be eaten with confidence.

3. Partially sprouted roots: taro, radish, sweet potato

Even if these three common root vegetables sprout, their edible parts (such as the tubers of taro, radish, and sweet potato) are safe as long as they are not obviously rotten or moldy. Furthermore, the leaves that sprout from these roots, such as taro leaves, radish leaves, and sweet potato leaves, are common vegetables that can be stir-fried or cooked into soups, offering both nutritional benefits and a delicious flavor.

5 Foods You Should Not Eat After Sprouting or Going Bad

1. Sprouted potatoes

When potatoes sprout, they produce a toxic alkaloid called solanine, especially around the eyes and on the skin. Consumption may cause acute poisoning symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, and vomiting, and in severe cases, it may even be life-threatening. Therefore, sprouted potatoes should be avoided.

2. Unripe tomatoes

Unripe green or half-ripe tomatoes contain solanine, a naturally occurring toxin with corrosive and hemolytic properties. Consuming large amounts can cause toxic reactions such as throat irritation, stomach burning, and gastrointestinal discomfort. Therefore, it's recommended to choose fully ripe, red tomatoes for safety.

3. Under-pickled sauerkraut or pickles

Homemade or commercially available pickles, if not sufficiently salted or pickled for less than eight days, may contain excessive amounts of nitrites, leading to nitrite poisoning and symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Therefore, it's important to ensure that sauerkraut is fully pickled and cooked before consumption.

4. Cabbage with black spots

If obvious black spots appear on the surface of the cabbage, especially when accompanied by discoloration at the edges or dryness due to lack of water, it may be due to excessive storage, leading to mold growth or the beginning of corruption. This type of cabbage not only loses nutrients but may also have adverse effects on health, so it is recommended not to eat it.

5. Pumpkin with spoiled interior

Although pumpkins have a tough outer skin and generally last a long time, they can still spoil internally in hot, humid environments. If you cut open a pumpkin and find the flesh is dark, soft, or even has a fermented, wine-like odor, it's spoiled and should be avoided to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort.
Whether sprouted or spoiled ingredients are safe to eat depends on the specific item. For instance, ingredients such as green onions, ginger, garlic, sprouts, and some root vegetables remain safe to eat after sprouting and may even have higher nutritional value. However, ingredients like potatoes, unripe tomatoes, insufficiently pickled kimchi, cabbage with black spots, and internally spoiled pumpkins may produce toxins or bacteria after sprouting or spoiling, which could pose health risks if consumed. It is recommended that people pay close attention to the appearance, smell, and texture when storing and cooking ingredients, and choose fresh, unspoiled items to ensure a safe and healthy diet.