So you've got a potato with eyes. Don't look away.
These eyes (or sprout, as they're sometimes called) contain glycoalkaloids, compounds that turn potatoes green and are potentially toxic. Definitely not salad material.
But as gross as potato eyes are, they're not ruining the rest of the potato. You can just cut them out with a part of your vegetable peeler you may have looked over until now.
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Ever notice that round loop near the top of a Y-peeler? It’s not just for looks (though there are some really fancy ones). It’s actually another tool altogether: an eye remover. The loop is contoured just right for scooping out less-than-desirable parts of the potato.
Instead of digging away at the potato's surface with the peeler's blade or a paring knife, use the eye remover like a melon baller or ice cream scoop and “gouge” out the eyes (see what we did there?). Note that on a Y-peeler, the eye remover is located to the side of the blade; on a swivel-style peeler, you'll often find it at the very tip.
So that's how you get the eyes out of a potato. But how do you keep them from forming to begin with? Keep them in a place that's humid, cool, and dark (light helps develop glycoalkaloids). Or just eat them right away—if you've ever made these scalloped potatoes, you have plenty of motivation.
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