I know potatoes aren't edible because of the solanine, but I don't think sunchokes or sweet potatoes have solanine. Are the sunchokes edible even if it has started to sprout shoots? They look sort of like fresh ginger shoots and are slightly pinkish yellow.
Elizabeth
Brandon - yes they are edible. The texture may suffer from the sprouts but the tubers are still good to eat. Pop off the sprouts an use a stiff brush to remove the skin. I love sun chokes in a pork roast gravy or in a rice dressing.
Enjoy
BTW - sun chokes are a gas bomb. Open the windows.
Anonymous
Just cut off the tuber area. Also not true that you can't eat potatoes that have sprouted -- we have always done that. My family would by 100# of seed potatoes and cut off the eyes with some potato, but would end up with plenty of potatoes to eat.
Only time potatoes are not safe to eat is if they have gotten sunlight and the skin has turned green-- definite stomach ache from eating any greenish potato. My grandmother could not see well and I'd have to pick out the greenish pieces before she fried or boiled them (always grow our own potatoes
tawney
Sunchokes Gas
frank
Yes they are fine to eat. Sun choke does not have any solanine, and it is not related to potatoes.
It is related to the sunflower family[ helianthus].
bahbdorje
HeliHelianthus tuberosa, same Genus as regular sunflowers.
Should be no problem but they not taste quite as good.