How to Chop an Onion and Not Cry
We've all heard that this trick or that works for stopping onion-induced tears, but what if you don't happen to have a sharp enough knife on hand - is there another method that you can use? Why of course, and we've created a roundup of the all ways that we could find to stop onions from making you cry.
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Why do we cry you ask? Well, according to food scientist Harold McGee, onions, and others in the onion family, make our eyes water as part of a defense mechanism through the use of sulfur. The growing plants take up sulfur from the soil and turn it into a weapon when cells are damaged through chopping. Onions, shallots, and leeks in particular are the ones that make us cry; this sulfur product is called the "lacrimator." While the onions are cut, the chemical escapes from the injured cells and enters the attacker's eyes and nose where it apparently strikes nerve endings resulting in tears aplenty. How do you prevent this from happening? Check out what we found below.
Tricks for Not Crying:
1. McGee recommends chilling the onions with the skins on in ice water for 30-60 minutes to slow down the release of the enzyme, giving the cutter more time to get the work done.
2. Put the onion halves in the freezer for 20 minutes before chopping. (Again, this probably works in a similar fashion to the chilling-in-water method, but requires less prep time.)
3. Using a very sharp knife while cutting seems to be a feasible option as that would reduce the amount of damage done to the cells, therefore lowering the amount of chemicals released.
4. Chop the onions under a powerful hood or next to a very strong fan that will blow the gas away from you. (Although if you don't have a hood, then this could get messy with a fan if onion pieces started flying.)
More, Less-Explainable, Methods:
I'm not quite sure why these other methods are believed to work, but there seem to be plenty of people who stand by them - try them out and let us know what happens!
5. Place a piece of bread between your teeth while chopping. Maybe it distracts or absorbs the chemicals?
6. Chew on gum or another bite of food (might be just an excuse to eat while you prep, but we'll take it).
7. Put a metal spoon or other utensil in your mouth while peeling and chopping - sounds weird but it works.
Some Questionable Methods:
8. Cutting an onion under running water - wouldn't your hand slip? Especially if you are using a sharp knife?
Our thoughts: Don't try it.
9. Burning a candle next to you while you chop so that the flame pulls the gases toward it and away from you.
Our thoughts: Possibility of danger/fire is high, especially if it doesn't work and you start crying and swatting at things.
10. Wear goggles or a ski mask while chopping.
Our thoughts: Eh, those are always a pain to adjust and you might get stuck with old goggle face.
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