how do you cut an onion without your eyes crying?

Question

how do you cut an onion without your eyes watering?

Answer 1

peel them holding them under running water then use food chopper to cut them up

Answer 2

Cut the onion quickly.

Best way to chop an onion - (use a fairly large, thin cooks knife, a small knife will be fiddly and less safe)

1. Remove the loose outer skin of the onion.
2. Leaving the root end intact slice off the top of the onion so that you have a square cut, discard the top.
3. Place the onion on the board with the newly cut edge down and the slice the onion in half through the root.
4. Take one half of the onion and make 2 or 3 equally spaced horizontal cuts towards the root from the cut top end but do not cut all the way through.
5. Now make several vertical cuts along the onion from top to root again making sure that you don't cut all the way to the root.
6. Now simply slice across the breadth of the onion half vertically, square to the previous cuts and you should get nice evenly chopped tiny squares of onion.
7. Repeat process for the remaining half.

If you practice this each time you use onions you will find that you chop them so quickly that your eyes won't have time to sting.

The piece of bread idea also works a treat so perhaps practice this method of chopping a few times with a piece of bread between your lips until you are quite adept in your chopping technique and after a while just lose the bread.

When chopping any vegetables it is important that you first cut yourself a nice straight edge and a firm base to slice against, this makes using a knife much safer.

Answer 3

Cut the root only halfway through,, Its where the essence that makes you cry is released
Slice it the way the lines on the onion go.
Don't cut across them OR

just keep the onion in the water for some time before cutting it

Answer 4

Onions contain cells with a particular enzyme that when the cells are broken, this enzyme escapes. When this happens, some of the enzymes decompose into amino acid sulfoxides that when introduced into the air, form the gas sulfuric acid (this is what makes you cry). Some people suggest that freezing an onion will help, but not so much. Your best bet it to cut quickly and then get the onion into the cooking surface as quickly as possible. I would reccommend using a handheld spring formed chopper if you are uncomfortable with your knife skills and have the pan that you are cooking in ready and waiting.

Answer 5

The only thing I've tried that works consistently is by cutting them from the stem side first! DON"T remove the root (hairy) end. I have no idea why this works, but it ALWAYS does!

I've even been known to wear a scuba mask while peeling onions before I learned this trick. Must have been an odd sight. The fins didn't work too well in the kitchen, though...too clumsy...

Have fun.

Answer 6

Hi Doc, Never close your eyes' you can lose a finger that way. Try cutting the onion near the kitchen sink with the cold water running.This is suppose to limited the strong sting of the onion juice. Your Friend, poppy1

Answer 7

what you should do is cut the first layer of onion ring off and put real lemon juice on the cutting board that you are using to cut the onion. Also, rinse the onion off.

Answer 8

Put a small piece of the onion on top of your head while chopping the rest. I saw this in the movie "Like Water for Chocolate/Como Agua para Chocolate".

Answer 9

Wash the onions with water first.

Answer 10

1. cut the onion in half DO NOT CUT THE ROOT OFF
2. cut along the little green lines on the onion down to the root
DO NOT CUT THOUGH THE ROOT
3. cut across and then throw root away
4. NO TEARS AT ALL AND YES IT WORKS ITS HOW I DO IT AND SO DO TOP COOKS

Answer 11

Putting them in the fridge works, but it takes time and they tend to lose a little flavor. The best thing to do is cut them next to an open flame. Like turn on a burner on the stove (assuming it's not electric) and put the cutting board next to the stove and not on it. Cutting near the flame tends to lessen the strength of the fumes and helps you to not cry.