Why Do My Potatoes Smell Like Cloves?

Potatoes are considered one of the most versatile root vegetables. They contain a lot of food nutrition and can be consumed in various alluring food forms. Potato goes with so many types of dishes that people often refer to objects and other people who fit everywhere, as potatoes. Now imagine you grew and harvested potatoes a few days back and just when you started to process them for cooking, you sensed a strong aroma that felt like cloves to you. Astonishingly you couldn’t remember leaving cloves nearby the potatoes or even find any trace of them.

So why do my potatoes smell like cloves? It may not make any sense to you firsthand, but obviously, there are strong reasons for your potatoes to smell like cloves. In this article, we will try to understand what can be the reasons for your potatoes to smell like cloves, the connection between potatoes and cloves, the scientific reason behind their presence, if there are any health issues involved and many more.

Key Takeaways

Smell In Potatoes

Smells in the potatoes aren’t uncommon things to wonder about. After harvesting fresh potatoes, they normally contain a distinct earthy scent due to their cultivation method under the soil. They are removed once they are peeled and washed. But you can understand if a potato is good to eat by smelling the potatoes. Any rotten potato will smell like mildew or mold and it is a sure sign that they are not eligible for eating or cooking. If any potato smells sour, bitter, or musty, that’s also a sign that there is something wrong with them, and better to toss them away.

There can be slightly different scents between species of potatoes and the geological ingredients like soil, and fertilizer can too influence the smell in and out of the potatoes.

Why Do Potatoes Smell Like Cloves?

If you smell your potatoes like cloves, then there could be more than one reason for that. While the first one is scientifically proven, the remaining ones are mere possibilities. Some of the possible reasons are listed below:

Potato Sprout Control Using Clove Oil

The most convincing and logical reason for your potatoes to smell like clove is the use of clove oil to control their sprouts. Once potatoes are harvested they don’t see instant use. That’s why they are stored in cold storage in an optimal environment. Usually, potatoes don’t need any persevering chemicals for long time storage.  But the sprouting issue remains after a certain period of time.

To prevent the potatoes from sprouting, chemical such as chlorpropham (CIPC) is regularly used by the storage facilities. But CIPC is not always a viable option due to it being a chemical agent. On the other hand, clove oil is distilled directly from green clove seeds and plants. Their application causes the potatoes to reverse the sprout but the smell of clove remains on the potatoes. That’s why you find cloves smell on potatoes which were likely stored using clove oil.

Storing Them Together

The second highest possible reason for your potatoes being smelled like cloves might be their possible storage with cloves. Cloves are aromatic flower buds that are frequently used in foods as flavor. They can release a great amount of smell and that’s why they are in-house to cook Indian cuisines mostly. There is a high possibility of potatoes getting smell contaminated in touch of cloves. So any chance your cloves like smelling potatoes were near stored, or transported with cloves, can cause themselves to smell like cloves.

Solanine Level Are Rising

The rise of solanine can be another viable but less likely option for your potatoes to smell like cloves. Solanine is a natural toxin found in potatoes. Poor storage practices can develop this toxin in potatoes. The skin of a potato may turn green or develop a bitter odor when it has a high amount of solanine. You may have found this scent similar to the cloves. If it is the reason, then you should expel the potatoes. Because too much amount of solanine can lead to health issues like headaches and nausea.

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Use of Cloves Oil For Potato Sprout Control

Cloves are organic seeds and are likely to leave not much of a harsh effect on the potatoes. The University of Idaho evaluated the use of cloves oil for sprout suppression for four years at the Kimberly Potato Storage Research Facility. It was found that though they leave a scent of cloves they are a great organic alternative to chlorpropham (CIPC).

Cloves oil inhibits sprout development by interfering with cell division. Generally, a single application maintains long-term sprout control. Application of cloves oil is made when the sprouts are emerging and preferably not longer than ½ inch in length. Whereas the CIPC application happens right after putting the potatoes in storage. This gives a time extension by counting the time before the sprout shows up for the first time. Another benefit of using cloves oil to prevent potato sprouts is capitalizing on the inherent dormancy of the cultivar. For example, Russet Burbank stored at 42°F typically won’t break dormancy for approximately 175 days.

Does Clove Oil Cause Health Issues For Potatoes?

The use of cloves oil as a potatoes sprout controller is listed as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means the FDA has approved their use as potato sprout controllers while in storage.

Taking chlorpropham as the standard substance for controlling sprouts, then the outcome of using Cloves oil leaves not much of a difference from the former one. In the same evaluation done by the University of Idaho, it was experienced that potatoes stored using CIPC and Cloves oil had a very similar result in terms of color, flavor, texture, and general. The only difference between their use is while potatoes stored using CIPC are not accepted by many, using cloves oil instead is accepted more widely.

Cloves Oil Alternatives for Potato Sprout Control

Though cloves oil is an organic solution to control potato sprouting, they have cons such as smelling like cloves. There are other alternatives for cloves oil which use you find convenient. Some of the cloves oil alternatives are:

Mint Oils

Peppermint and spearmint oils are great use to control potato sprouts. A wick application of them comes out as more beneficial than a thermal or cold aerosol application. Mint oil also has a fresh, sharp scent comparable to menthol. For potatoes in bulk storage, mint oil can be volatilized into the air stream circulating through the potatoes.

Hydrogen Peroxide

The use of Hydrogen Peroxide in organic products such as potatoes is allowed by the National Organic Program Standard. Though this substance is not tested against bulk sprout suppression, their repeated use has resulted in good outcomes to prevent sprouting on potatoes.

Refrigerating

Storing potatoes at lower temperature doesn’t needs the external application of chemicals for sprout control. But beware of the side effects of storing at very low temperatures like 2°-4° as it makes the potatoes sweeter. Instead use moderate temperate between 8°-12°. This will reduce the sprouts at a great level and at the same time keep the potatoes in good shape after a long storage.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Potatoes are a versatile food, full of vitamins and minerals. Their life cycle needs to be stored in suitable conditioned facilities to prevent rotting. In this process, potatoes may produce sprouts which can make them inedible. To reduce and prevent these sprouts from growing, different measures and substances are applied along with cloves oil. Cloves oil is made from pure cloves plants and is very fragrant to smell. That’s why potatoes stored using cloves oil to prevent sprouts to grow can cause the potatoes to smell like cloves too.  This is more likely the case for your potatoes to smell like cloves. Process them by washing, them before having them on the dinner table for a smell-free fine dining.

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