how do you chop an onion without it making you cry?

Answer 1

I have two suggestions. 1.) peel onion under running water, ~or~ in the Food and Beverage Industry they actually use 'goggles' when chopping huge amounts of onions. Wearing the goggles really helps keep the infinite oils from the cut onion away from your eyes. It really works !

Answer 2

Running cold water really works: if you are addidng other veg that need washing then chop the onions first next to the sink whilst running the water (slowly) to fill the bowl to wash the vegetables. You don't need to chop them under the water running or still. And use a sharp knife.

And as others have said: practice.

Also different types of onions have different strengths so some you hardly notice. But the trouble with this is it's pot luck.

Answer 3

The Juice of the onion is what makes you cry.
This juice is only released when the cell walls of the onion are damaged.
If you use a really sharp knife, which cuts through rather than squashes the cells you won't cry, as the juice is still contained in the onion.
You will also get better tasting onions than if you have peeled them underwater, and washed all that juice and flavour down the sink.

I suggested this to someone who had recently started work at a fast food restaurant, and had to peel lots of onions every morning
He found it worked - like supplying his own small sharp knife.

Don't chop your onions in advance if you can avoid it, the juice is highly volatile and all the flavour will have disappeared if you chop them hours before you are going to cook them

Answer 4

It's the vapours that make you cry, so you could wear a peg on your nose. However, the strongest vapours come from the root end of the onion, so leave that bit intact - ie. don't peel it or cut it off, just cut around it and throw it away. Some people also recommend rinsing a peeled onion under cold water before chopping it.

Answer 5

Chop along the lines of the onion (the ones that run from top to bottom). You wont get rings cutting it this way, but you won't cry either.

Answer 6

Thats easy,best way to chop an onion is to run cold water into a bowl and then to chop the onion in the bowl of water....well if it works for Gordon Ramsey...it must work!!!!Good luck....

Answer 7

After you peel the onion run it under cold water for about a minute then chop it. It works for me!!

Answer 8

well, onions make you cry because of the small pockets of hydrochloric acid. So, in theory, if you wear swimming goggles to protect your eyes you should not cry while chopping an onion.

Answer 9

one way i heard is to chop an onion near running cold water or try putting a piece of bread in your mouth and hold it hanging out while you are chopping

Answer 10

The root end of the onion is what makes you cry, usually. Work the rest of the onion before hitting the root end.