What is the right way to cut an onion?

Question

What is the right way to cut an onion without crying, or is that just a myth?

Answer 1

Personally I find that cold onions produce fewer tears. Also cut the root side off first followed by the top and cut as usual - the cold seems to prevent the "spray" of onion juice that causes the tearing.
You could also be sensitive so using a chopper could be your best choice.

Answer 2

How much you eyes water depends on how sensitive you are. If you leave the root-end on an onion, it releases less vapor. But if you're going to cut the whole onion, you can't do that. You can decrease the vapor by holding the onion under cold water while you cut the ends off and then continue rinsing for a few seconds, but if it's a strong onion or if you're very sensitive, you might still get a little misty. Lighting a match near your onion chopping place will burn some of the vapor out of the air. It doesn't bother me much any more because I put onion in almost everything and I'm used to it. Except Jello. I don't like onion Jello.

Answer 3

there are things you can do to reduce the "crying" effect, but there's nothing that really does the job totally. Running the onion under cold water, or refrigerating your onions, are the best ways to reduce the crying. You could wear goggles, like some do, if you don't care to look like an idiot for a few minutes. LOL!!

Answer 4

I learned this on Food Network.

Without peeling the onion first, cut into half. Then peel off the shells, and run the half-cut onion under cold water.

I can't say this takes care of all the crying, but helps to some extent.

Answer 5

There are so many answers to this one... i have found that a cold onion is less irritating, i have heard eating bread helps, i have heard water on your cutting board will help, as will soaking onions after you peel them but before you cut them. I usually (if i have time) cut the top off and peel them, then let them sit in the fridge for a bit before dicing them. the bottom line is there is no sure way to stop the irritation just ways to minimize it.

Answer 6

I allways use onion for most of meals and had cried while cutting and now I had discover a vidalia chop wizard and it is the greatest onion chopper for me,no tears.

Answer 7

When I chop onions wearing my glasses, I cry up a storm. When I am wearing my lenses, I do not even shed a tear.

Answer 8

Run it under cold water and avoid touching your eyes. If you do start "crying" stick your head in the freezer and it will stop pretty quickly.

Answer 9

just keep your onions in the fridge and you wont tear up at all.


jan

Answer 10

I'm not sure if there's a "proven remedy" yet. I just hold my breath as much as possible while I'm cutting/chopping!