Can I use the word "flesh" when referring to plants/crops?

If not, what would be a more appropriate word?

Those potatoes had been potatoes eaten by worms. Now, they were nothing more than lumps of flesh with nothing inside.

Solution 1:

For your case, I think you mean what is called the "skin" of the potato, not the flesh. The skin is the thin outer layer of the potato, which is what would remain if worms had eaten the inside.

The word flesh can be used to mean some part of a plant which is fleshy. However, fleshy things are things which are somewhat like meat in texture, not things which are somewhat like skin. It refers principally to their texture not taste or location. An example would be the centre of some stems in plants which can contain material which is a tough mass, or the contents of some fruits.

Solution 2:

Yes, you can call the inside of potatoes flesh. It is the technical term used by potato farmers and also by nutrition experts.

Only about 20% of the potato’s nutrition is found in the skin. In fact, most of the vitamin C and potassium are found in the potato’s flesh, but that good for-you fiber is found in the skin.

Goldrush
Usage: Fresh market potato with low to medium gravity that is great for baking, boiling, and processing. Tuber Appearance: Oblong with russet skin and golden flesh.

Please note that the terms, pulp and mass are not mentioned once in the Wikipedia article entitled, potato.

Solution 3:

I guess you can:

Botany : The edible pulpy part of a fruit or vegetable: (halve the avocados and scrape out the flesh) flesh