# Is this mold? Found black stuff on frozen potato latkes :(



## lasagnaburrito (Jun 9, 2015)

Hello all,

First off Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, I hope you had/are having a wonderful time.

Next I wanted to ask about something we just discovered as we are setting up Thanksgiving dinner.

My mother made some Potato Latkes, about 2 weeks ago, and stored them in the freezer.





  








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lasagnaburrito


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Nov 26, 2015







(note Google Image of Latkes)

and my parents discovered, today, after taking them out of the freezer, that there is some black stuff on the latkas. We are assuming it is mold, but I want to know how mold would have formed in my freezer, and if this is a concern for the rest of the food in there? Besides, Black Mold on food? 2 weeks? Something is odd....

My mother has been making these for decades, and this is the first time it's happened... I'm curious if maybe a bad ingredient or something?

I'm going to get a picture of the Latkes (I haven't looked at it myself), and I'm going to get the recipe, so I hope someone can help us with this, because it's quite disgusting....

Thanks!

UPDATE: Here are the pix

pdated pix





  








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lasagnaburrito


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Nov 26, 2015












  








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lasagnaburrito


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Nov 26, 2015








SOOOO GROSS....


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Probably starch reaction with something else in the latke


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## cerise (Jul 5, 2013)

I would take everything out of the freezer and check expiration dates and temp, and use your nose. Even ice cream and ice cubes can take on the flavor/smell of foods stored around it. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but when I do, I try to store in a zip lock, pressing out the air. Fresh is always best.


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## bootswhitlock (Oct 17, 2015)

Check that the freezer isn't thawing to mold growth temperature.

-freeze water so that it is at a slant...

-turn the water so that you will see the results if the water thaws and refreezes(so at the next check it is at a different angle)..

Outside of that I'm lost on mold actually 'growing' in the freezer.

Boots


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## lasagnaburrito (Jun 9, 2015)

MaryB said:


> Probably starch reaction with something else in the latke


Updated pics above, what would react, and why would it turn black...


Cerise said:


> I would take everything out of the freezer and check expiration dates and temp, and use your nose. Even ice cream and ice cubes can take on the flavor/smell of foods stored around it. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but when I do, I try to store in a zip lock, pressing out the air. Fresh is always best.


Yeah I'll let my parents know we should check out the freezer. They put the latkes in the fridge, and they need to be thrown out.... Idk why they were put in the fridge, I'm not ery happy with that...

I don't want to smell anything though...

The latkes were stored in foil, and thrown into the freezer.. Not very smart at all, but a lot of things are stored that way....


BootsWhitlock said:


> Check that the freezer isn't thawing to mold growth temperature.
> 
> -freeze water so that it is at a slant...
> 
> ...


I don't think it's thawing, sometimes it would open up and air would leak out, but i don't think enough to get low enough for mold growth, but not too sure of that times...

I'll try the freezing water idea....

Idk what else... Hope the pictures help!


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

I really don't think your latkes turned black because you froze them and I'm sure that is not mold. Potatoes will sometimes turn black when the are exposed to oxygen. The two don't

like each other. It could have been in the preparation. Even when you first peel the spud you should store it in water to keep the oxygen away. The potatoes might have been left out for more time then usual. 

It could also be the potato, this is not uncommon. If the were shipped that the temp went under 35-40 degrees, that will ruin them.

Don't ask me where I got this but I have had lengthy debates on this subject. A medical person told me if the potato exposed to oxygen, there is iron and other things in the spud that cause something like Tirosine.

That's what causes the discoloring.

Oh yea, you shouldn't use any type of aluminum or iron to cook the Latkes. I wouldn't use foil either.

That's all I have.

I have had this happen to me. We make a type of potato ball with cheese etc. and fry, then freeze them. I just shredded and skipped the water, instead of keeping them in water I just kept them in

a bowl until use. You really need to keep the O2 away. They should go in water then before you mix them drain the in a turned towel.


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## cerise (Jul 5, 2013)

From your second pic, it looks more like a meat/liver filled potato knish, rather than a potato pancake/latke. The outside appears white - okay.


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## kingfarvito (May 7, 2012)

It looks like potato oxidation to me.


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## lasagnaburrito (Jun 9, 2015)

panini said:


> I really don't think your latkes turned black because you froze them and I'm sure that is not mold. Potatoes will sometimes turn black when the are exposed to oxygen. The two don't
> 
> like each other. It could have been in the preparation. Even when you first peel the spud you should store it in water to keep the oxygen away. The potatoes might have been left out for more time then usual.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the heavy info.

So is there anything wrong with the oxidation, and can they be eaten?

Also, you mentioned not to use aluminum, and I'm curious why? I have another topic open, where I'm discussing the worries of materials we cook with, so this information will be useful for that. From what I've been reading people use aluminum, but some things you should stay away from like tomatoes due to corrosion or whatnot.

Thanks for any info, and thanks for what you sent to me, I'll make sure to let my mom know.


Cerise said:


> From your second pic, it looks more like a meat/liver filled potato knish, rather than a potato pancake/latke. The outside appears white - okay.


Yeah, they are potato, it's really weird because it's like a layer of nasty in the middle...



kingfarvito said:


> It looks like potato oxidation to me.


Yeah, that's what the other member said. IS there anything wrong with it oxidizing, and can it still be eaten?

-------------------------

FWIW we just dumped the latkes, Idk if they were safe, or not, but still gross! lol .

Also curious about the cooking of the latkes/potatoes in aluminum/foil.

Here is the other thread

http://www.cheftalk.com/t/87875/what-is-the-best-material-for-pots-and-pans

Thanks all!


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## kingfarvito (May 7, 2012)

Should be fine to eat, it looks to me like they just didn't get cooked all the way through


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## lasagnaburrito (Jun 9, 2015)

kingfarvito said:


> Should be fine to eat, it looks to me like they just didn't get cooked all the way through


Thank you sir, will let mom know. I think one of her comments were just that "I don't think I cooked them long enough..."

We ate some when she first made them, they didn't look like these.... Just weird it happened after awhile, in the freezer, where there shouldn't be much Oxygen...

Granted, by removing them from the freezer, into the fridge, they might have oxidized then....


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## flipflopgirl (Jun 27, 2012)

You did the right thing.
When in doubt throw it out........ no matter what advice you recieve.
If it was oxidation why is it only in the middle?

Would be interesting to see a magnification of the icky stuff.
Rescue one and stick it back in the freezer.
Then hit Google and find an el cheepo microscope ( or have a kid take to the science teacher at school ) and take a peek.
Mold is really easy to ID.

I would also get that freezer door looked at.
You could get pretty darn sick eating food that has been (possibly) held in the danger zone.

mimi

Another thought.
Maybe the potato cakes did not get cooked all the way thru.
Raw egg?
Bad onions?
IDK......curious.

m.


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## lasagnaburrito (Jun 9, 2015)

flipflopgirl said:


> You did the right thing.
> When in doubt throw it out........ no matter what advice you recieve.
> If it was oxidation why is it only in the middle?
> 
> ...


Yeah, throwing it away was the best option.

It was the middle all the way through, not just the center. The picture is of a full latkes, not broken in half. Maybe the outsides were cooked enough to stop this...?

We shall check the freezer and such, but probably isn't the case, but granted we had some of the latkes before and they were fine, so I don't get what happened in the 2 weeks sicne they were made.

Mom claims they weren't fully cooked through, before anyone here mentoined it, so that might be the case.

We threw everything away, so nothing is left, and I rather not go out to get it.

sO far good info here, but still weird...

Thanks!


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

I'm in the camp that doesn't think it's mold.
It looks to me like "potato grey", a result of being 
exposed to air. I've seen it happen with both cooked and
uncooked spuds, especially russets.
And even though oxidized potatoes may be safe to eat,
things that look like that especially as cheap as potatoes,
go straight to my trash bin.


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## cerise (Jul 5, 2013)

The title and image threw me off. Latkes/potato pancakes are shredded. They can be made with leftover mashed potatoes. The second actual pic indicates a potato knish, that can be filled - surrounded/encased in mashed potatoes. Try a Google for potato pancakes/latkes and knishes.
Looks like a potato knish, not a latke to me.

You mentioned they were fine two weeks ago, but sense there may be some missing info - reheating, storing, and later adding not cooked through and wanting to reheat in tin foil.

There are a few drips and drabs of info added later. Makes it confusing to answer your query.

I presumed by the title you were referring to frozen prepackaged storebought potato pancakes. Hence, my check your freezer reply.

It doesn't sound like a potato pancake "oxidation" problem inherent with grated/shredded potatoes. Again, look up knish.

Not seeing any mold or black spots. Hard to tell from your pic. Could be a green moldy center, and what seems to be a grainey potato yellow or white potato encasing. Hard to tell.

Re black spots - don't see any. You mentioned tin foil (storing and reheating in same). Unclear.were the black spots on the foil, food or both?


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Potato starch reaction... iodized salt... turns black





  








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maryb


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Nov 28, 2015


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