WATCH: How To Make A Potato Powered Light Bulb

Got that extra potato in your refrigerator? Forget mashed potato and french fries, there's something else you can do with these glorious crops.

Did you know that you can create an energy-efficient light using a potato-powered battery? Yes, potatoes cannot just feed the entire population, but can also light up many houses.

Nutritionally speaking, potato supplies complex carbohydrates which people need in order to perform daily tasks, making it one of the most consumed crops in the world. But more than that, it may provide an economical answer to the increasing power needs of the world.

Back in 2010, researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ) have discovered that potatoes can be used as organic batteries, providing an affordable and accessible sustainable energy to parts of the world that are short of electrical infrastructure.

All organic matter can actually be used to generate electrical current but the potato was chosen in the study because it is common in almost all countries.

Isreal 21c noted that boiling a potato prior to use in electrolysis increases electric power compared to a raw potato. It extends the life of the battery for days and even weeks. By boiling the potato, electrons can flow more freely, allowing more electric power.

As explained by the Smithsonian Mag, the potato is not directly the energy source. It simply acts as a salt-bridge between the the two metals, allowing the electron current to move freely across the wire to create electricity.

To create your own enegy-efficient potato battery to light up a bulb, here's what you need: A potato, zinc and copper electrodes.

Again, anything that is rich in electrolyte can be used as a substitue for the potato.

Here's an instructional video on how you can create your own: