Can I eat yam if it turns black?

It is very common for food to spoil in people's daily lives. Some foods can be eaten after they spoil, but some foods may cause harm to the human body if eaten after they spoil. Many people are not clear about whether yam is spoiled after it turns black and whether eating it after it is spoiled will have an impact on the body. So, can yam be eaten if it turns black?

First, can you eat yam if it turns black? Yam has high nutritional value and is best eaten as a tonic in autumn. But when peeling the yam, many people found that the yam turned from white to black. What's going on? Can the yam be eaten if it turns black after peeling? In fact, this is the result of oxidation. So how can you peel the yam without it turning black? Here’s a tip to help you peel the yam without it turning black. When it comes to autumn food, yam is definitely the first choice. Yam is rich in vitamins, amino acids and minerals, and has health benefits such as enhancing human immunity, benefiting the heart and calming the nerves. But many people have found that yam turns black after peeling.

Second, yams that change color due to mold cannot be eaten, but yams that change color due to oxidation can be eaten. Fresh yams are easily oxidized by oxygen in the air and are prone to browning when in contact with metals such as iron knives, making the white yams look black. So there is no problem with the yam turning black, just eat it with confidence. The cut yam turns black due to the enzymatic browning that causes the color to darken. There are three main conditions for the occurrence of browning: polyphenols, polyphenol oxidase and oxygen. After the yam is peeled and exposed to the air, the polyphenols in it react with oxygen to produce o-quinone, which is further oxidized and polymerized to form brown pigment and melanin. This situation is not uncommon in real life. After peeling, apples, eggplants, lotus roots, etc. will undergo enzymatic browning, causing the color to darken. If the peeled yam is soaked in cold water to isolate it from the oxygen in the air, it will not change color. There is no problem if you eat it, but the color will not look good after the dish is cooked.

Can you eat yam if it turns black? The phenolic substances in yam are oxidized when they come into contact with oxygen in the air to produce colored quinone substances. They only need to avoid direct contact with air, such as soaking in water. You can use salt water. You can also put some white vinegar in a bowl of water, and the cut yam will not turn black when placed in the vinegar water. If you don't want the yam to be oxidized, it is recommended to peel it and soak it in water. If you soak it in hot water, it can not only prevent it from being oxidized and blackened, but also neutralize the biological alkali in the yam that makes people's hands itchy, and reduce allergic reactions when scratching with your hands. When cooking yam, you should also pay attention to some tips, because the new yam is easily oxidized by oxygen in the air, and will also change color after coming into contact with iron and other metals. Therefore, it is best to process the cut yam after some treatment. You can use a bamboo knife or plastic blade to draw lines on the skin, and then peel it into sections with your hands. You can also soak the cut yam in rice wine first, and then blow it with a hair dryer to promote the healing of the incision, then wrap it with a napkin, wrap it with several layers of newspaper, and place it in a cool corner for later use.