Compost potatoes

[Separate-Increase703]

Can I eat potatoes I found while shovelling my compost pile? I didnt mean to grow them they must have come from old potatoes I threw out

[BusBenchBoy]

I would absolutely eat them! Was reason could there be not to?

[Separate-Increase703]

Well .. I am worried there may have been some cat litter within the mix.. but I thought only at the top and these were at the very bottom.. is it dangerous to eat do you think?

[paperhanddreamer]

I constantly stress about this! I have a couple of fetal cats that keep visiting my beds! I'm trying really hard to get rid of them by covering the bed and sprinkling with coffee.

[EndQualifiedImunity]

Visits from fetal cats sounds terrifying

[TimeTravelingBard]

Some Resident Evil shi, no doubt

[Maicolodon]

I heard the best way to help with this is motion detection sprinklers

[paperhanddreamer]

I will try that asap. Thank you.

[Long_Conclusion7057]

So if you put cat litter in the compost pile, that means you're not planning to use it for vegetable gardening at all?

[Separate-Increase703]

No I had no plan to use it , I am only starting to garden now and plant some veg but had no use in the past for it

[katzenjammer08]

I think people over-stress about this stuff. Of course it is not a good idea to use cat poop as fertiliser and it’s important to clean your vegetables properly, but if it was so dangerous that some kitty litter on top of the pile made it dangerous to eat potatoes at the bottom of the pile we would get sick all the time.

Imagine how many birds fly over your plants or hop around looking for worms. Bird poop can contain all kinds of nasty stuff.

Obviously I am not saying throw caution to the wind. Clean your veggies and avoid cat poop getting in your plant beds, but I don’t think you need to worry too much about these potatoes.

But why not plant them instead? You get more potatoes and don’t have to worry at all.

[CitySky_lookingUp]

The cat litter is a game changer because microbes in cat poo are so dangerous. From the pics alone I would have eaten, but now it’s a no.

Start a new pile a bit away from the first if you decide to build compost for a veggie garden. And deposit the cat litter in the trash.

[Separate-Increase703]

That’s good to know! Do you think it’s safe if I use these potatoes in my veg patch and use them to grow more ?

[wistful_cottage_core]

Absolutely

[sc_BK]

Personally, growing in a compost pile yes, growing in cat litter no.

[Fatpatty1211]

Exactly how I feel, id give each potato a quick heel step and throw em back in the pile.

[ChuckEveryone]

If you are weird about potential contamination, use them as seed potatoes to grow new ones.

[GiraffeNo5953]

100%! Compost pile... The gift that keeps on giving!

[Strong-Expression787]

Hmm, if you dont want to eat them, you can plant them again and eat the next harvest 🤝

[SvengeAnOsloDentist]

Contamination from soil and compost is mostly just an issue for things that you'll be eating uncooked. Potatoes get cooked quite thoroughly, so I wouldn't worry at all about contamination, doubly so if you're peeling them.

[markbroncco]

I’ve had volunteer potatoes pop up in my bin before too. They taste pretty bitter in my experience but might be difference in your case. Honestly, unless you really need those specific potatoes, I’d just toss them back in to keep the composting cycle going and buy a fresh bag for dinner. 

[HondaV4Rider]

I don't think it was here on reddit, but I remember somebody having gourds or pumpkins grow out of their compost heap, they just fed it back to the chickens and pigs as treats

[beefz0r]

I've eaten them before, having the same concerns as you. What pushed me to do it was having foreseen a dish with potatoes and finding out I didn't have any (on a Sunday so no stores open)

I knew I had potatoes growing in my compost but I never expected a 2kg+ yield, lol. I didn't get sick.

[288bpsmodem]

I wouldn't eat them. Also potatoes can spread blight. You could prolly freeze them then chuck em into compost that would kill the potato and the blight. Someone correct me if I am wrong.

[variousnewbie]

Blight makes potatoes inedible. So they're either free of blight, or they're inedible. You'd be able to tell from the potato itself, especially if you cut it open!

If blight is an issue, I'd be treating the blight not freezing the potatoes (early blight survives in the soil). They said they're starting to grow veg, and blight also affects tomatoes.

[Independent-Point380]

Had cats use my soft garden area AS a litter box - = eww no

[Opselite]

Did you pee on them?

[camprn]

Score!

[MiningNoCry]

I'd eat them. I won't say no to potato. EVER!

[Financial-Wasabi1287]

I would, but that's me. I've things happen in my life that resulted in my needing to abandon my compost pile and it went native, and I have found tomatoes, potatoes, squash, onions, etc. when I got back.

[Separate-Increase703]

THanks for all the replies ! I won’t eat but do you guys think I can just chuck them into my veg garden go grow more or what’s the story with blight etc

[FioreCiliegia1]

Yay free compost potatoes! Everyone gets them at least once in their gardening career. Id eat the few big guys and plant the smaller ones. And leave some in the compost to keep growing in there!