To cut onions without crying, here are some effective tips:
- Keep the root end of the onion intact when cutting, as cutting it off releases more tear-inducing gases.
- Use a very sharp knife to minimize damage to onion cells, which reduces the release of irritating compounds.
- Cutting onions near a bowl of water or under running water can help lessen the gases reaching your eyes.
- Chilling or freezing the onion before cutting slows the release of the irritating compounds.
- Burning a candle near the cutting board or using a fan to blow the gases away may help.
- Wearing goggles designed to block irritants or even holding a slice of bread in your mouth can reduce tears.
- Cut the onion with the cut side down or carefully slicing away from the root to reduce gas release.
These methods work by either minimizing the release of the sulfur compounds that cause eye irritation or by physically preventing them from reaching your eyes.
For example, Gordon Ramsay recommends leaving the root on to avoid rapid release of the tear-causing chemicals and using a slicing technique that minimizes onion cell damage.
Using a sharp knife is also universally advised as it causes less cell damage and thus less release of the irritating chemical syn-Propanethial S-oxide that causes tears.
In summary, the key is a combination of good cutting technique, using a sharp knife, and physical barriers or environmental tricks like water or chilling to keep tears away while cutting onions.
