Chopping onions is effortless but what it leaves behind needs 4 to 5 paper towels to wipe away! that’s why we are gonna be telling you how to get the perfectly sliced onion with no tears!
Here are our tested and guaranteed tips for saving your tears while cutting red onion or yellow onion!
Tip #1: Freeze the Onion
It may seem crazy, but hell yes! It works!.
When you chop onions that are stored dry, you will cry a river as onions have a high level of sulfur.
Putting the pre chopped onions in the fridge for 30 minutes will reduce the sulfur chemical compound that comes out when chopping onions.
After taking the frozen onion out of the freezer you can chop them immediately or wait for them to chill for 2-3 mins, it is up to you.
You may feel that your hands are freezing while chopping the chilled onion, but preventing the teary eyes is worth it, right? or you can simply wear protective gloves.
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Tip #2: Cut the Onions Near a Heat Source
When we say a heat source, we mean a kettle, pan, flame, or any source that steam comes out from.
Here is some chemistry! The steam will catch out the vapors (propanethial s oxide and sulfur) that come out from the raw onion and evaporate them. which in turn will reduce the chances of having teary eyes.
All you need to do is to open a flame and start to slice your onions.
Tip #3: Soak Onions in Cold Water
The theory behind this tip is that the cold water helps to absorb the chemical gas-sulfur from the onion while cutting.
All you need to do is to soak the pre chopped onion in cold water for some time before chopping. or you can even try chopping on your chopping board right under running tap water.
But if you decided to try the second hack you need to be super cautious as the diced onion might get to the drain.
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Tip #4: Chop Onions In Front of the Kitchen Fan/Vent
This method is as useful as freezing the onions
All you need is a small fan or any air source facing your cutting board while chopping onions. what’s the point? the circulating air will help you to keep onion tears away by blowing the chemical gas that comes from onions away from your eyes.
So you are not only blowing your tears away. you are also blowing away the chemicals that rise from the onion into your eyes, mouth, and nose.
Don’t hesitate; just open your kitchen fan and try it now!
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Tip #5: Use a Razor-Sharp Knife
Don’t use a dull knife and only use a very sharp knife or sharpen your blades before cutting onions.
This hack is not only for making the chopping process easier or faster but also helps you to get free-tear eyes.
The theory says that the less damage you do to the onion’s cell walls, the less damage in your eyes you would get. And a razor-sharp knife blade will help you do less damage to the onion skin. so little gas, like propanediol s oxide, will be released as well.
Method #6: Chewing Gum
This hack goes directly with the idea of keeping your mouth open and breathing through it. Chewing gum will help you breathe through your mouth while you chop onion since it is difficult to keep your mouth open.
So, when you chew gum, you will get an easy method to breathe through your mouth, and as a result, you won’t smell the gas and the chemicals released in the cutting onion process with your nose.
You only need gum and a paring knife to start cutting onions without onion tears in your eyes.
Here is another hack that has the exact same effect, which is putting a piece of bread in your mouth.
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Tip #7: Microwave the Onion
Putting the onion in the microwave isn’t as efficient as chilling the onion, but at least it will get fewer tears in your eyes. as the heat generated from the microwave makes the onion soft, releasing water, and losing its hot favor.
All you need to do is to put the onion in the microwave at 50% power until the internal temperature reaches 158 F.
the drawback of this method is that it will make the kitchen full with the onion smell.
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Tip#8: Wear Goggles!
Those who have no time to soak onions in cold water, or are ready to chop a cold onion, or don’t wanna get involved in the sulphuric acid and its chemical reaction. This hack is for you!
It is easy-peasy! Just go to the hardware and get yourself onion goggles.
Goggles are used by chemists (in case you don’t know who Walter White is!) as they prevent any harmful chemicals from reaching their eyes. which means that if you put them on during the onion chopping process, the sulphuric acid will have no way to your eyes!
Final thoughts:
I guess now you got the full answer to your question: How to Cut Onions Without Crying? and I believe that from this moment on, you will be saving your tears for another day!
You might also like to take a look at our ” Best onion choppers review“.
