Is there anything you can do to prevent your eyes from watering while peeling onions??

Question

I have a job as a cook and have to chop so many onions that tears go down my face......help!

Answer 1

A chef friend of mine said that if you put water on your wrists, that can help prevent your eyes from watering.

Answer 2

Two ways that work for me are:
1. Peel the onions under running water.
2. Hold a slice of bread in your mouth while you peel the onions.
Both ways work. Running the water can get expensive if you have a lot of onions to peel, but then bread isn't exactly cheap either and ity gets kinda soggy holding in your mouth.
A friend who is a chef swears by jut letting the tears come and never, ever wiping your eyes. Heclaims it eventually neutralizes the stinging.

Answer 3

I've heard that you should cut the top of the onion first, then peel the outer layers and cut the bottom last.

I don't know the reasoning behind that. Maybe that's the part that makes your eyes water??? And if you cut that part last, most of your onion would have already been cut up/peeled, and you can quickly chop through the rest before your eyes start to water???

I dunno. That's how I do mine. It seems to me that the white onions. (I buy them in the bag of a lb or whatever, cheap) seem to make my eyes water more than the yellow, red or vidalia.
Can you use a food processor or a slicer??

Answer 4

Get your onions and put them in the fridge at least an hour b4 you have to work with them probably not longer than over nite. This will cause the irritant in the onion to slowdown as it comes into contact with the air when you cut it.. peal them under cold water and chop 'em up quick.

Answer 5

Soak the onions in water for a few minutes and then peel. Water will not come from your eyes.

Answer 6

You can buy full on splash goggles. Either the smaller ones that swimmers wear or the larger ones that scientists wear in the laboratories.

Either should only cost you 20 bucks and they adhere closely to your face and should protect your from the lions share of the onion spray.

Answer 7

Use a VERY sharp knife. When you cut, if it is half cutting and half crushing the onion it will release more of the irritant. If it is sharp enough that it basically slips through the onion, it will hardly make your eyes water at all.

Answer 8

I was always told to cut onions under running cold water to avoid them bothering your eyes.

Answer 9

hi ,
if you can make time to cut your onion once in half and let it sit for a while to dry out a bit you will have less to cry about. i have a restaurant and I cut many onions this is what i do and it seems to work. ang

Answer 10

all you have to do is place a large cup of plain water next to the area where you are chopping the onions/it works very well.