How to Cut an Onion Without Crying
From lighting candles to bitter spoons, you'll never guess which method for cutting onions left us tear-gratuitous.
Nosotros all know the feeling. You're slicing into a crisp onion, and suddenly the waterworks turn on. Equally if you lot were watching the last scene of Titanic and every pet-adoption commercial rolled up in 1, tears are streaming down your face. Great way to boot off 1 of our recipes for french onion soup, right?
Why do onions brand us cry?
Onions produce a chemical called syn-propanethial-Southward-oxide, which is known to trigger tears. When the onion is cutting, this chemic sprays into the air, causing even the most masterful cooks to well up.
So peradventure the real question is how do you cut an onion without crying (if you lot can't go your hands on tearless onions, that is)?
On this front, wild claims abound. Our Customs Cooks and others suggested everything from chewing candy to lighting candles can aid prevent the tears. Naturally, our Test Kitchen wanted to try them all. Follow along as Taste of Habitation's Examination Cooks, Nick Iverson and Matt Hass, debunk the myths and ultimately settle on the best fashion to cut an onion without crying.
Method #1: Frozen onions.
"I put onions in the freezer for 15-20 minutes before I cut them, and I use a very precipitous knife." -Elizabeth Bramkamp, Gig Harbor, WA
Does information technology actually work?
The freezer method was a no-go.
Notes from our Test Kitchen
Freezing the onion made it slightly more difficult to cut and didn't assuage any of its tear-producing fumes.
Aside from getting our fingers frosty-freezy, this method didn't do much in the service of stopping those free-flowing tears. We recommend keeping onions at room temperature prior to chopping; however, it's perfectly fine to freeze onions for long-term storage.
Method #two: Chewing gum.
"I chew gum while animate through my oral fissure instead of my nose. Sounds crazy, but it works!" -Allison Ochoa, Hays, KS
Does it really work?
Sadly, no.
Notes from our Test Kitchen
Although enjoyable, chewing a stick of gum had no effect. (Merely it was fun to see our Test Cooks blowing bubbles in the kitchen.)
Method #3: Drinking a glass of water.
"Drinkable a tall glass of water a few minutes before chopping onions. Dry optics take hold of for any bit of liquid in the air." -Helen Nelander, Boulder Creek, CA
Does it actually piece of work
Nope.
Notes from our Test Kitchen
Drinking h2o didn't make any difference, but it did keep usa hydrated in our warm kitchen!
Method #4: Biting a wooden spoon.
A wooden spoon held between your teeth volition help absorb the onion smell.
Does information technology really piece of work?
Not for us!
Notes from our Exam Kitchen
Unfortunately, the tears but kept on coming. On the other hand, it did requite our cooking spoons some rugged-looking bite marks.
Method #5: Burn a candle.
Light a candle about the cutting board.
Does it really work?
No!
Notes from our Exam Kitchen
Information technology looked nice…merely did cypher.
This one made us chuckle a bit. The candle provided a flake of romantic ambiance, but information technology didn't stop the tears. (A larger flame might piece of work ameliorate, only we're certain it'due south not worth the risk.)
Method #6: Article of clothing goggles.
"I have worn regular goggles (the kind you become at a hardware shop) instead of onion-cut goggles afterwards seeing someone do the latter on Goggle box. It works groovy-and you look pretty cool, too." -Deborah Pennington, Decatur, AL
Does it really work?
Yes!
Notes from our Exam Kitchen
The goggle lenses blocked the fumes from the onion, which in plough stopped the tears.
At final, we found a tip that truly works! Despite making the team wait like a bunch of mad scientists, this method definitely kept our cooks from crying.
Pro tip: Cut onions ofttimes? Pick up a pair of these anti-tear goggles. ($twenty) Unlike the kind you'd find at the hardware store, they come in sophisticated styles like tortoise beat out—so you won't await quite as geeky as our cooks do.
Our Test Kitchen'south Methods
Afterwards trying each of these techniques, we asked our Atomic number 82 Examination Melt, Nick Iverson, how he achieves tear-complimentary chopping:
"The most foolproof mode is to use a sharp knife. With a sharp knife, you are less likely to rupture the cell walls that incorporate sulfur compounds in the onion. (The sulfur compounds in the onion react with the wet in your eye, causing irritation.) The 2nd best way is to work in a well-ventilated room. Open up a window or turn on the exhaust fan above your stove."
Of class, y'all could always proceed a pair of swimming goggles beside your cutting board, as well.
Now that you lot know how to proceed from crying, endeavor information technology out with onion-packed recipes like Rich French Onion Soup or cheesy Onion Beef au Jus.
Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-cut-onions-without-crying-our-test-kitchen-tries-6-crazy-methods/
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