ONIONS are an important ingredient in so many meals, but as we all know, chopping them can leave you in tears.
So why does this happen, and what can you do to avoid it when cooking your next meal?
There’s nothing quite like the sizzle and the smell you get when you throw diced onion in the pan.
Many of us use them in our favourite recipes regularly, and have simply accepted the fact that they make your eyes water.
The reason this happens is that a volatile compound is released into the air when you chop into an onion.
When it reaches your your eye it reacts with the water there to create sulphuric acid, which burns.
The stinging that This leads to more tears as your eyes tries to get rid of the stinging.
One woman on TikTok has shared a method of cutting onions in seconds that one user called “genius” – you can find out how she does it here.
But you may be wondering whether there are approaches that specifically help you avoid crying.
Thankfully we’ve collected a few hacks you can try if you’re sick of tearing up at tea time.
Before you start chopping, try lighting a candle.
The idea is that the flame will help by burning off some of the offending compounds in the air.
It’s thought this could work by burning some of them away before they reach your eye and cause irritation.
A TikToking grandmother shared an approach for cutting onions that she says will prevent tears.
In a video posted on her popular TikTok account brunchwithbabs she said:
“You need a really good sharp knife. Coat it with olive oil,” she instructed followed by a video of her cutting onions with no fuss.
“I’m just chopping.
“Right now I’m feeling absolutely 100 percent,” she continued.
“No tearing. No crazies. No running out of the kitchen. Worked for me.”
Another approach involves soaking the onion in water beforehand.
This should be done once it’s peeled but not cut.
Apparently, this draws out the compounds, meaning there aren’t as many to react with your eyes.
You may feel a bit silly trying this one, but it’s thought to work.
Pop a spoon in your mouth while you cutting and you should find it helpful in reducing stinging.
It works because the chemicals bind to the metal of the spoon before they can get to your eyes.
Some people suggest putting a bit of bread in your mouth, with part of it hanging out.
This is supposed to catch some of the chemicals before they reach your eyes.
Just make sure you don’t fill up on bread and save your appetite for what you’re cooking!
The exact chemical that makes our eyes burn so much when we chop up onions is syn-propanethial-S-oxide.
This volatile sulphur compound wafts towards your eyes where it then forms sulphuric acid.
The sulphuric acid then causes that dreaded burning sensation and resulting tears.
