no crying while cutting onions?

Question

I avoid using onions in my cooking because I immediately well up and have tears streaming down my face, so much so that I cannot see what I am doing at all (not good while using a knife). Please help by giving me some tips on how to stop the flow of tears. Thanks!

Thank you everyone for your great tips!!

Keep them coming!!

Answer 1

Onions release gases that make you tear. The gas is released as you cut through. Common sense right??

Here is the catch. If you use a sharp knife, you will damage less vessels and the onion will release less gas. You need a chef grade cutting knife. Get one and your problem cuts down dramatically.

Some other tricks:

Cut them underwater
Freeze them a bit
Use a fan
Cut faster

Answer 2

Peel the onion under running water. You can place a chopping board across the sink to cut it while the water runs in a gentle trickle or mild stream. If that's not something you could try, in between cuts, run the onion through water. The water helps reduce the acid that emits causing our eyes to tear up. I also used minced onion in my recipes if I don't have fresh onion on hand.

Answer 3

I saw a cooking TV show once and the cook said that if you don't want to cry when you are cutting onions you just have to cut the head of the onion and put it on your head and after that continue cutting the onion. I don't know if that works but you can try it.

Answer 4

Use a very sharp knife

also I was told to peel the onion while running water over it.

Haven't tried the water thing, but the knife helps.

Answer 5

5 suggestions to end the Crying over Onions!!! a million. decrease the onions below working water. be careful although, please! i do no longer want you to get harm! This prevents the sulfide from traveling up into our noses and inducing that undesirable crying reaction. possibly soaking them in water for slightly before slicing them is a extra desirable concept. i visit depart it as much as you, yet pick effectively! 2. placed those fab onions interior the freezer for 5 minutes or so and then get occurring slicing them. 3. make useful no person is around you, because of the fact this tip could be one you want to do on my own. placed on some goggles to evade the vapors from attending to you. 4. decrease the basis of the onion off final. with the aid of the way, the less floor section uncovered on an onion the less sulfuric compounds can pass as much as you, making your eyes sting. 5. Breathe with the aid of your mouth as against your nostril. those are techniques that I genuinely have heard approximately, yet i individually want to hearken to from you on what has worked. Please enable me understand if there is a few super tip that I genuinely have neglected or which you think is the final "save from crying mutually as slicing onions" tip!

Answer 6

Cut onion under water - or -
Stick a matchstick (the large kind that you buy in boxes) in your mouth. Hold the tip of the wood between your teeth. Supposedly the sulfur in the match end will absorb the acid.

Answer 7

Put the onion in the fridge 20 minutes before you are going to cut it. Works every time.

Answer 8

Use one of those little "mini-food-processors" -- you know, the kind you can buy at Wal-Mart for about $10.00. You just cut your onion into great big chunks and drop it in and turn it on. How long you leave it turned-on determines the size of the pieces -- little vs. big, in other words. Sure does minimize the tears and the stuffed-up sinuses.

Answer 9

Someone once told me to light an unscented votive near where I'm cutting to prevent onion induced tears. I've never tried it...but anything's worth a shot!

Answer 10

Cut the onion while it is in running water. It takes the offensive oils down the drain instead of into your eyes.