Sad sprouting supermarket spuds

[Kaiya]

A few days ago I found a bag of Charlotte potatoes in my cupboard, merrily sprouting away, all with 3-6 inches of white growth. I decided I might as well see if they can be planted (or at least, decided to bring them with me until I got around asking if it was wise to do so here) but it's so cold at the moment that half a day spent in my car seems to have damaged them; most of the sprouts are now brown, and while more are fairly firmish still some are decaying.



There are a few white sprouts remaining. They're now in a unheated garage, but my Anyas in the same garage are doing fine. The Charlotte tubers appear ok - they're wet from condensation from their bag but fine in colour and texture as far as I can tell.

If you prune sprouts, do they grow back? Is there any point persevering with these chaps (chapettes?) or are supermarket spuds in general best avoided?

[Aberdeenplotter]

Yes, whip them off and they will re-grow. They are perfectly useable in the kitchen though. I remember as a child seeing my Granny soak spuds in a bucket of water if they had become wizened because of sprout growth and then eating same spuds later. She was a farmer's wife who hated waste.

[Potstubsdustbins]

As the man said, plus if you intend to grow them keep them somewhere light and frost free to encourage the growth of nice dark green/purple spruts.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

Have I imagined this - that you can grow potatoes from the sprouts (or for Colin spruts)? I've snapped off the sprouts from my Charlottes and stuck them in water just to see what happens!

[Kaiya]

This is marvellous news - I will prune them and let them carry on then! Unless I get peckish, in which case I may eat some.