A pumpkin’s orange pulp sometimes has green spots. Is it safe to eat them or should they be cut out? And what about other vegetables?
Spotted a greet spot in your vegetable? You may want to cut that off – unless its on a pumpkin.
“Green spots in pumpkins are no problem,” says nutrition specialist Daniela Krehl. The same can’t be said of tomatoes and potatoes, however.
Any green spots on these, members of the genus of flowering plants called Solanum, contain the poisonous compound solanine.
Ingesting this can cause symptoms such as nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and neurological problems. In very severe cases, even death can result.
Green spots at the base of a pumpkin’s stem or in the pulp are a sign that it’s not fully ripe. This also shortens its shelf life, however, so the pumpkin will need to be eaten soon. – dpa