No More Tears – How To Cut An Onion Without Crying

People shedding tears while chopping an onion is an accepted, sorrowful fact! But did you ever wonder why this happens? Why do you tear up while cutting an onion and not while chopping up any other vegetable? Here’s the answer!

Since the onions grow underground, they absorb a lot of sulfur from the earth that leads to the formation of amino acid sulfoxides. When crushed with a knife, it releases sulfenic acid, which then mixes with air and forms a volatile sulfur compound. When it comes in contact with our eyes in the form of gas, it creates a burning sensation in them. And because of this irritant, we automatically tear up in an effort to wash away the irritant from the eyes.

Now that we know the reason for tearing up while cutting the onions, let’s take a look at the ways by which we can prevent the tears.

1. Light A Candle Before Chopping The Onions.

By doing so, the flame of the candle absorbs some of the gas that causes irritation in the eyes, and thus, you’ll be able to chop the onions successfully without shedding tears.

2. Select Less Pungent Onions.

It is said that chopping yellow onions tends to be more irritating than chopping the red ones. Thus, you can prevent tearing up by selecting less pungent onions.

3. Cut The Onions Underwater.

This prevents the sulfuric compound from reaching the eyes that causes tears. But, before trying this, make sure you take safety precautions as the knife may slip from your hand under water and may lead to cuts.

4. Refrigerate The Onion.

Keeping the onion in the freezer 15 minutes before cutting it reduces the level of irritation in the eyes. But, it is going to be a tedious task as the outermost layer will become papery due to freezing.

5. Leave The Root Intact Wile Cutting It.

Leaving the root intact significantly reduces the number of tears you shed while cutting the onions. However, cut it slowly to prevent cuts.

6. Put An Unlit Matchstick In Your Mouth.

Sounds silly, right? But trust me, this works. All you need to do is hold a matchstick (obviously unlit!) between your two front teeth while cutting the onions. Theory says that by doing this, the gas that is emitted from the onions will get absorbed by the end of matchstick before reaching your eyes.

7. Keep A Bread Piece In Your Mouth.

Same as the previous theory, when you hold a piece of bread in the mouth, the sulphuric compounds get absorbed by the bread and eliminate the irritants.

8. Rub Lemon Juice Over The Knife’s Blade.

Rubbing lemon juice on the blade of the knife before cutting an onion is another easy fix to prevent tearing. But one thing that you need to keep in mind is that you have to rub the lemon slice over the blade after every few cuts.

9. Use A Sharp Knife.

Using a sharp knife can help avoid unnecessary tears as a sharp knife damages fewer cells as compared to a blunt knife.

Try these hacks and you don’t have to cry anymore. And, if all these tips also don’t work for you then the last and best option is to buy a pair of swimming goggles and wear them while chopping onions!

Probably the most foolproof way to prevent onion tears!

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Author

Jyotsana RaoBeauty & Lifestyle Writer

 

Jyotsana Rao is an engineering graduate from NIT, Nagpur, who discovered her love for writing during her undergraduate days. She is passionate about writing about everything related to beauty - makeup, fashion, hairstyles, skin care, or hair care and has 4 years of experience on writing in these genres.

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