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My top 10 ways to cut an

onion…no tears

by Maria Gracia Join our newsletter to be notified when the newest Top Ten list is available. My daughter, who arrived home after taking a cooking class in school, asked, “Mom, how do you cut onions without crying?” I was glad she asked. Interestingly, some people aren’t as sensitive to onions. I, on the other hand, am…big time! Onions do create eye irritants. Without going into heavy duty science stuff, there are acidic enzymes released when we cut an onion. Those enzymes react with the rest of the onion to create a gas which irritates our eyes. Luckily, there are a number of ways to avoid the tears…and they all work well, especially when used in combination with one or more! 1. Use a sharp knife. A sharp knife easily slices into the onion, reducing the amount of enzyme breakage. If you use a dull knife, there’s a better chance that you’ll crush the cells creating a stronger irritant. 2. Cool the onion. Place your onion in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes before cutting it. This reduces the amount of acid enzymes released into the air. 3. Have a vent above you. Cut your onion while standing beneath a vent. A vent will increase airflow and pull the enzymes away from your eyes. If you have an overhead fan above the stove, cut the onion there. Or, maybe your fan is under your microwave--another possible space. 4. Soak the onion. Another possible solution is to soak your onion in water for 5-15 minutes. Saturating the onion will draw out the enzymes….BUT it will give your onion a milder taste! 5. Wear goggles. I’m not kidding. Creating a barrier between you and the onion is one of the best ways to prevent tears. 6. Wear your contact lenses. Another benefit of contact lenses...you won’t cry as much when cutting onions. The contact lenses create a barrier between your eyes and the onion’s irritants, just like wearing goggles. 7. Don’t rub your eyes. If you’re cutting onions and you tear up…DON’T rub your eyes. The onion juices are already on your fingertips. Rubbing your eyes will make the situation much, much worse. Just step away and give yourself a minute for your eyes to clear up. You may even want to stick your head in the freezer for a few seconds. This helps me sometimes. 8. Use stainless steel. As you’re cutting the onion, intermittently rub your fingertips across stainless steel. Doing so will eliminate some of the odor from your fingers, and thus the tears. This is one of my favorites! 9. Use your food processor. If I don’t need ‘beautifully cut’ onions, I just use my food processor or manual chopper. 10. Get someone else to do it. This is my favorite one. Whenever I can get my husband to chop the onions, I remain happy and tear free! Use your negotiating techniques. (Smile.) Back to Top Ten Index