Does anyone know of a method for chopping onions without causing your eyes to water?

Question

Does anyone know of a method for chopping onions without causing your eyes to water?

Answer 1

Pop the onion in the freezer for a few mins prior to chopping

Use as sharp a knife as possible, preferably twice as long as the onion

Work in a well ventilated area



Edit: I found a website that might help alot



Simply keep your onions in the fridge along with other veggies and you will never cry when chopping them - it's that simple!

You can freeze an onion, just prepare like you were going to use it. Pan fry it before cooling and putting into an airtight container and freeze. This stops the onion going mushy when defrosted. Use as you would any other onion.

If you use a sharp knife, there shouldn't be any tears. An onion makes you cry because acid is being released from the onion. Using a dull knife crushes the onion rather than cutting it, releasing far more of this acid into the air.

Rinsing the onion will prevent it from browning.

Try holding a wooden spoon or a piece of bread between your teeth while cutting. This significantly reduces the irritation to the eyes.

Keep your mouth open and breathe through it while cutting onions to reduce the amount of tears.

Burn a candle on the counter near where you're cutting the onion. It'll burn off the fumes that cause eye irritation. A scented candle also smells better than raw, chopped onion!

You can also avoid tears simply by chewing a piece of gum while you are cutting the onion.

Try holding a wooden match in your teeth (unlit of course); it will absorb the odor.

Answer 2

Make someone else do it? Works every time! LOL



We did an experiment on this once in school. Certain tricks like the brown paper bag and the match stick (which I don't see on here...You light a match, put it out, and put the unburnt end in your mouth.) work by altering your taste which in turn alters your whole way of perceiving the onion smell. Your eyes water not becuase the onion "gas" gets straight in them but because you smell and taste the vapors which causes a watering effect in your eye. (I forgot the exact mechanics of that but it works like an allergic reaction.) Cutting the onion underwater works if it is feasable and chilling works also becuase the juices don't become airborne so easily. We found the best method that was feasable for everybody was not to remove the roots and the 1 inch touching the roots until you were almost done. Personally I don't have time to wait. I take the onion. Cut the roots off first, peel the whole first layer and discard quickly. Then dunk the bottom end of the onion in ice water and light a match. The combination of quick desposal, removal of the juices (which are concentrated in the root end), and the smell altering sulfur from the match works for me. If I were you I would try several method and see what works best. Good luck :D

Answer 3

I do a lot of cooking and I love to add onions. One remedy that has worked perfectly over the years is to keep a wooden match in your mouth while you cut the onions. Sort of like you would a tooth pick you weren't currently using. The sulfer from the mathc nutralizes the chemical in the onion that causes your eyes to water.

Answer 4

I use a small "clip-on" 110volt fan blowing across my face and the onions if I am cutting up a large amount of onion. This is by far the best method when you are chopping onion!

If just one onion for slicing only, then I use the "underwater" method.

Answer 5

My grand-mother years ago taught me a trick until today I use it and have passed it down to my daughter and all of our friends. Put a little piece of brown paper from a paper bag under your tongue, peel all the onions you want without a tear.

Answer 6

you can keep the onion for some time in salt water, before cutting.

Answer 7

put onions in water after pealing off the outer shel, and than try. u will feel the difference.

Answer 8

yes u can put the onions in water while u cut them i done it and it worked.;

Answer 9

thereis one side of the onion you can cut off first that will not make the onion as strong .

Answer 10

I cut off the pointy end(the end without the roots) and I have never had a problem

Answer 11

Well, one foolproof way is to wear contacts... I really think they should make them for chefs to wear cause it really works!



But other than that, cutting the inion underwater is supposed to help, but I have never actually tried it cause it seems difficult.

Answer 12

cut the 2 ends off and let them sit for a minute to let the gas escape.

Answer 13

Freeze them for several hours before cutting.

Answer 14

I have heard that you should have a piece of bread in your mouth! That will stop the tears!

Answer 15

you can rub half of a lemon on the cutting surface

Answer 16

soak in water for a little while

Answer 17

lemon on the cutting boeard and knife

Answer 18

let your husband/ wife do it and do your nails/ sort your nails and screws while he/ she is doing it

Answer 19

processor