How To Stop Crying When Chopping Onions

If solely we knew easy methods to cease crying when chopping onions to spare us—and the thousands and thousands of different onion victims—a number of the ache. Fortunately, Eric Rowse, a lead chef-instructor of culinary arts on the Institute of Culinary Education, has a couple of easy options rolled up the sleeve of his chef’s coat to spare you some tears when chopping, dicing, and slicing onions.

Why do onions make you cry?

First issues first, let’s tackle the elephant within the room—why on earth do onions make you cry so darn a lot? They could not harm your emotions, however they certain do harm your eyeballs. In response to Rowse, the quick reply is straightforward: sulfuric acid. However how can an invisible fuel seemingly trigger a lot destruction?

“Onions and other alliums—like garlic, shallot, leeks, chives, ramps, inexperienced onion—are nice at absorbing sulfur,” Rowse explains. “After we minimize onions and successfully break down cell partitions inside them, the sulfur compounds, combined with amino acids from the onion, get squeezed out into the air.” That is the place issues begin to get sticky. As soon as this combo is uncovered to oxygen and comes into contact with the water round your eye, it creates sulfuric acid, based on Rowse. “The sulfuric acid irritates your eyes, making them tear up,” he says. “It’s the physique’s protection attempting to flush out the irritant.” Huge freaking sigh.

Understand that the extra you narrow an onion, the extra sulfur compounds are launched into the air, therefore the extra teary-eyed you’ll get. Plus, the atmosphere you’re working in may also play a giant position in what number of tears you may shed whereas dicing onions. “If you happen to’re reducing onions in a scorching atmosphere the waterworks are going to return sooner and be extra intense,” Rowse says. “Chilly onions can decelerate the onset of tears slightly.”

So, is any allium, like say garlic, certain to trigger the identical response? Rowse says it may, nevertheless it’s not as seemingly as a result of they are typically smaller than onions and thus soak up much less sulfur and launch much less fuel into the air when minimize. “If you happen to’re reducing numerous smaller alliums in a poorly ventilated house and you’ve got delicate eyes, then sure, however nonetheless not as dangerous,” he says. Phew.

And what a few pink onion versus a candy onion? “I really feel lots of people would say yellow [or sweet] onions [make you cry the most], however I might virtually argue that’s as a result of they’re the commonest. In my expertise, I don’t see a lot of a distinction between yellow, white, or pink. However different much less harsh-tasting alliums will make you cry much less,” Rowse says. Select properly, fam.

How one can cease crying when reducing onions as soon as and for all

Forward Rowse shares 4 foolproof methods to make the duty far more manageable. Belief me, you’ll be so pleased with these options you’ll seemingly get teary-eyed (however in one of the simplest ways doable).

1. Use a pointy knife

In response to Rowse, the number-one technique to cease crying when reducing onions is to maintain your knives sharp. That is as a result of the sharper the knife, the safer the onion-cutting session might be (not solely in your fingers but in addition in your tear ducts). “If you happen to minimize onions with a boring knife, as an alternative of creating a clear minimize by the cell partitions of the onion, you find yourself crushing the cells, spraying extra of these sulfur compounds out within the air,” Rowse says. So, be taught how to sharpen your knives like a pro to keep away from having to succeed in for the tissue field time and again.

2. Chill the onions (for slightly bit)

If you happen to are inclined to hold your onions on the kitchen counter 24/7, Rowse says you might wish to contemplate popping them within the fridge for a couple of minutes forward of slicing and dicing as an alternative. That’s as a result of the colder the onion, the much less seemingly it’ll make you cry. Fairly cool, proper? “Chilling the onions can lower how far the droplets carry within the air—though, don’t retailer your onions within the fridge,” Rowse says. A chilly and humid atmosphere could cause the onions to spoil sooner. However chilling them for only a few minutes gained’t do an excessive amount of hurt to your valuable Vidalias.

3. Use a fan to maintain the realm well-ventilated

Rowse says a fan can be utilized to blow the fumes away. “However don’t direct it at another person,” he cautions. Yep, even your worst enemy doesn’t need to be subjected to the ache of tear-inducing onions.

4. Decorate accordingly

If you happen to’re coping with significantly robust onions, Rowse says you might wish to name within the reinforcements: goggles. Certainly, it could look comical, nevertheless it’s among the best methods to successfully protect your eyes from absorbing the fumes. “One can put on swim or ski goggles which are tight-fitting [around the eyes] to stop the vapor from coming into contact with their eyes,” he says. Security goggles can even suffice, FYI. “They’re not precisely a vogue assertion, nevertheless it does technically work. Plus, in addition they make ‘onion goggles,’ which observe the identical idea.”

Alliums in your thoughts? Here is the 411 on garlic: