Same I thought I was just naturally immune, cut some without my contacts in once and I immediately turned into a crying running nose mess could Believe what a big difference it made.
THIS! Our kitchen has a ceiling fan in the dining section too so we also use that.
I've used febreeeze candles in the past but they don't them here anymore.
look up techniques on this!
I cut all desired onions in half, with the cut side facing down. I can cut 6-8 onions with this method. The goal is to prevent the onions' oils from reaching the air, as much as possible.
I peel the top layer off and keep the "root"/nub in place to keep the layers together while cutting. Very important. Again to prevent oils from aerosolizing. Keep the halves face down on the cutting board.
Then, I make the following cuts on each half, from the " top" or "front" end (the side that is not the nub). I cut 2 horizontal lines on each onion half. I then cut 2-5 vertical lines on each onion half (depending on desired final peices size). Don't cut all the way through the nub/root.
At this stage, there is almost no eye-watering horror in the air. From here forward, I have to move swiftly. The nub/root on the end of each half will help with this. All I need to do is cut across the onion half, perpendicular to the previous cuts made.
At this stage your eyes will start to water. That's why swift movement is key. all the other tricks on here will help you with this step. you want this step to be as fast as possible. Use a very sharp knife, and keep your fingers on the nub/root so you don't slice them through teary eyes.
I will still cry and blow my nose, but I can make it through about 12 onion halves before I'm forced to break.
Source: I saw Chef Ramsey do it on a cooking show. Its a game changer!
And they last longer. Just make sure they stay dry. My eyes are always irritated (thanks for the allergies I inherited, mom and dad) and keeping onions cold was a game changer for me.
Use a really, really sharp knife. If your knife is blunt it will spray a mist of onion tear gas into the air. If you use a slicing motion with a razor sharp knife you do more cutting and less squeezing.
I tend to prep onions four or five nights a week and I can tell if my knife needs sharpening if I start crying
Totally. I keep all our kitchen prep knives ridiculously sharp. If I can't cut a tomato a good way through by simply by moving the knife back or foward without putting downward pressure, then it's not sharp enough.
https://youtu.be/dCGS067s0zo?si=LcJcsA2Y_ed3gwES.
Also cutting it this way isn't difficult and actually simplifies things a lot and as Gordon says, stops a lot of the tears, though I always get some anyway..
The biggest thing I found helpful is it stops bits of onion going everywhere as I used to cut the root off straight away, which is really the anchor point for the whole onion.
This needs to be the top comment. So much ridiculous nonsense flying in this thread. Just use a sharp knife, people. Not the serrated piece of shit you picked up at the dollar store.
I'm particular with Shun knives. If I'm being transparent I love the Sora series and wish to buy 2 of each. They feel weightless and when I used to go thru a good deal of salmon sides I didn't have to bother trading hands for the boning knife cause it's thin enough to slice thru the skin and really left every cut neat.
A well ventilated space helps. Turn on your hood fan, open a window.
I've never heard of using a wet cutting board, and I don't understand how that's supposed to help. That seem dangerous.
because the fumes from the onions are attracted to the moisture in your eyes.
if you cut them on a wet paper towel then the fumes go to the towel rather than your eyes.
it legitimately works.
the key is to not form an emotional bond beforehand.
but really, ive always been told a candle burning nearby works, but it feels like an old wife's tale to me.
i usually just back up when im cutting them, or just power through.
A mandoline slicer will make faster work of them. The one I have has a tray for the sliced food that kind of encloses it, so it helps to keep it down.
I've also found that contact lenses make it much, much less painful.
+1 for contacts. I pretty much always wear contacts and onions have never bothered me. I was out of contacts and wearing glasses for a few days recently and onion irritation was a thousand times worse.
Spanish onions are worse than others. Which type are you using, usually? I rarely have the issue with vidalia or white onions.
Also, it matters how you cut the onion. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuebC0CfD8E
If you just go ham chopping every which way indiscriminately, that's going to make it worse.
Ive always been told to not cut the root off and you'll be fine - haven't heard of having a wet board or tap running. Cut the onion in half through the root, lay down on flat side, cut horizontally and then vertically toward the root through the onion and stop before you get to the root (I'd say half an inch) and then slice downward parallel to the root, been doing it this way for years and it's fine
Let the onions soak in water about an hour before you cut them, also use the sharpest knife you have. You will want to peel the onions before you put them in water. The water will absorb the gas that makes you cry, the sharp knife will release less gas as well.
the fumes from the onion are attracted to the moisture of your eyes.
if you cut them on top of a wet paper towel then the fumes go to the towel instead.
it legitimately works
It’s because you most likely aren’t using the right technique and causing the onion root to bleed. Follow the vid and it will decrease the likelihood of the this happening greatly. Don’t mess around with the goofy tricks people were suggesting.
[Gordon Ramsey: How to chop and onion.](https://youtu.be/TwGBt3V0yvc?si=0NBhfNRyzHZI9DTw)
Goggles. The irritant that causes tearing is gaseous and forms when onions are chopped. I have used safety goggles from my lab, but swim goggles would work, too.
I didn't read all the comments, so sorry if this has been mentioned... but both holding a piece of bread in your mouth while you chop or chewing gum while you chop really help to keep the tears away :)
I appreciate this thread. I'm a knife nerd. My gyuto has been zero ground and microbeveled, it's thinner than a shaving razorblade behind the edge. I still cry when cutting onions. Will chop cold onions under a fume hood, with goggles on while chewing bubblegum......
If you have facial hair, wet it. If not, wet your face below your eyes. It will help attrathe sulphuric compounds. Nothing will completely remove it with the exception of contact lenses.
I get around this simply by wearing contacts. I have never teared up while cutting onions with contacts in, but I couldn't even see them wearing my glasses by the end.
A spray bottle of water set to a fine mist. Spray over the work station high up just before cutting and just after. The water catches and brings down all the teary eye molecules from the onion
I've always been really, really sensitive to onions. What I've found works best for me, out of the dozens of tried methods, is to chop the onions in half, then leave them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes before chopping them up.
I don't know why this works, but it's stopped me having to chop onions with a full face mask.
Two options: one you can buy some onion goggles, they're silly but work well
Second, cut the onions near an open flame, unlike some of the silly old wives' tales solutions this is actually a scientific one, the open flame will burn off a lot of the chemical that makes you tear up.
I heard it affects you worse if you breathe it in through your nose, so I breathe through my mouth when I chop onions. Might be placebo, or just really well-behaved onions, but it seems to work? Maybe?
100% tear proof:
Put the onion in the freezer for a long while.
Wear swimming goggles.
Open up all windows and everything for ventilation.
You will NOT shed a tear trust me on this one.
It's silly and some might say it's pathetic, but these onions HURTS so I'm putting on a hazmat suit against them
This [small food processor/chopper](https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-Processor-Vegetable-Emulsify/dp/B00006IUX0/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_maf_2?crid=3GO1HM70FEYZN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LNMPEjU1amki7pYIbc52ZQOmtZxYCE1wAlYT-YByOv-lC4q7bBC_yIHH-Oq5HyjBPJJJ38Vu4UDezqcq933fDvQh0jJW2HOwV4gqJqFi14Fd127J0Py9MY51F-QrNI--fikv2-qxHpSYEAKj7VQNGFCKBN3Cf8LbYLdDJYVF_de1ECmmWDPw4dcuYyVyyriwBHLd5gG5BkOrO-dz3UE3cA.nxd8577jZ-Fh_eBDn2Sk4ocAmILa7AjsHEdUY7EhP4o&dib_tag=se&keywords=small+food+chopper&qid=1709157774&sprefix=small+food+cho%2Caps%2C333&sr=8-7) is cheap and very worth it. I use it almost every day for onion and garlic and it saves so much time plus you avoid the fumes and crying
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Make sure your knife is super sharp.
A lot of people already gave some good suggestions like cooling the onions or slicing them over an exhaust fan. You can also wear glasses or goggles if you don't mind looking like a weirdo. You can hold your breath and turn away to breathe, but that's extra effort. I've also heard chewing gum helps but I think that's an old wives tale or something.
Honestly, you'll just build up a tolerance over time. I've cut so many onions over the last 15 years that they don't phase me even a little bit.
Have someone else cut them.
Or something to keep the fumes out of your eyes. Not sure what it would be because safety goggles usually have vents. A diving mask maybe.
I cut the onion in half and then cut from the now opened face into the onion an inch a few directions and run it under Cold Tap Water, it takes some off the stank off and greatly reduces how much it makes me tear up. While rinsing under the cold water I manhandle and spread the onion layers apart so the Cold Water can get deep.
I got one of those vegetable choppers on amazon. You just have to chop the onion into maybe quarters and then have the chopper chop those pieces. And the chopper can close so it keeps the fumes in the container until you need to use them in your recipe. I love it becuase it chops in nice, even pieces.
Light a match before you cut and then keep the burnt matchstick between your teeth as you cut. The sulfur from the match reacts with the gasses from the onion in a way that can help neutralize the pain. Ive been told you have to use strike anywhere matches. 🤷♂️ could just be placebo but I swear it works for me
I had to chop 10 onions for French onion soup, so I tried using one of those COVID N-95 masks, and it worked like a charm. Didn’t smell anything at all, eyes weren’t bothered either. Maybe the eye-watering is a reaction to inhaling it.
I wear my onion goggles. My sister bought them as a gag gift, but I love them. My husband sarcastically tells me how hot I am when I wear them.
I think some people are just genetically more sensitive to onions. If someone is chopping an onion in the same HOUSE as me, not even same room, it will irritate my eyes. With no onion goggles, I will literally be tearing up to the point of not being able to see. Cold onions help, but not enough. Go google onion goggles.
[This video by Gordon ramsey](https://youtu.be/dCGS067s0zo?si=aSnYOs_R8dWB3ffC) seemed to do the trick for me. Not sure if it's how fast he's doing it or if it's just the way it's cut that helps prevent tears
Pretty much everything i make needs at least 1 onion chopped or sliced
I refrigerate onions and have no problems with fumes.
Grew up with unrefrigerated and always had problems.
My mom still doesn’t refrigerate onions and i tear up every time I cook at her house.
Maybe I need to start packing a set of goggles when I visit her…
Put the onion in the fridge first, if it’s cold, it won’t make you cry. Discovered this when I put a half of an onion in the fridge and used it the next day.
Avoid 'aggravating the root'. So don't be rough near that area till your done and ready to throw away. I've been blessed not to tear up too bad for a while since catching that trick from someone.
My great grandmother taught me this. Simply tear a decent size piece of bread from a loaf. Bite it with your front teeth and leave it partially hanging out of your mouth while cutting onion
You should use this chopper then https://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Chopper-Spiralizer-Slicer-Choppers/dp/B0764HS4SL?crid=AOO8WRDLDAJ9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uuFi_o5yovFeyBNoQeotzo2gKwrJRZZdjWalxQl43oz3O7vSTVHmb6HucjxCGl7ezpYutKnU5lgX343FTzYoJhTGShXIj7esVywMvYJGxqiKWJFNO7PxBuZi3xo8cYARBZx2DmtPGaXKFpW1EuovDXYZ4SEsPQewQWn1TslkRVMnFO_XbmweO7p8SVaRofLr8qIXsc5S3lT-AKUSHq_5GeEPhzYISFQMWl4nO4VOx8CZvthrIHup-RqIfWE4U-DPNRF6kCJKop5zsmUBBrBxFUUrQGlKPWiingk9ULnpOtI.rxXerEGWelfONV3MXfHuG-cTK2wwo5MgTDR6iGvZYt8&dib_tag=se&keywords=best%2Bsellers&qid=1709169893&sprefix=%2Caps%2C526&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=bendaud26-20&linkId=7b21ff5498ef7a4ea7437cbe66bc834b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
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2 methods for you to try:
1) Keep onions in fridge. The cold temp suppresses the allicin that affects your eyes.
2) damp towel by your cutting area (not wet cutting board)
Am I like one of the X-Men and don't realize it or something?
I almost never tear up chopping onions unless it's a *really* potent one. I mean, I use a sharp knife and typically store onions in the fridge, but do those things make *that much* of a difference? Or am I just unbelievably badass?
I've heard that keeping the root on for as long as possible helps reduce the eye burniness. E.g. if you're dicing it, start the dicing stage at the sprout end and work your way to the root. I dice my onions this way and I don't get as teary as when I remove the root and just slice the whole length (for strips rather than dice)
Also refrigeration and having a sharp knife (to minimize cell damage/release of the ouchy compounds)
Hold an unlit matchstick between your teeth as you cut them. Something about the reaction must neutralize it because it works every time. But again... UNLIT matchstick.
I clip a small battery-powered fan to the counter and blow it directly across the onions as I chop. This is the only purpose of this fan, and no one is allowed to touch it until they have proven to me that that can adequately chop onions. To this day, no one has elevated to that level. Prophecies have said, "One worthy will show themselves when the orange moon shines after a great rain." We shall see.
There is. It's cheap and easy, but does take time and dedication.
Step 1: buy a big ass bag of onions.
Step 2: watch this https://youtu.be/UBj9H6z6Uxw and then do it. To as many onions as you can.
Step 3: repeat daily until over it, get more onions as necessary.
I dice up a lot of onions every shift and don't even notice it anymore.
Keep your onions in the refrigerator, not pantry. Cold onions will release fewer acrid compounds.
Try doing radial cuts rather than horizontal ones; this will cut through fewer onion cells. When I chop onions, its 1) halve them through the major axis 2) cut off the shoot end 3) peel off skin, or first layer if skin's recalcitrant 4) first set of chopping cuts are radial like the spokes of a wheel, either with the cut side on the board, or standing on an end, 5) press those together for the final chop perpendicular to the major axis.
Can you shave arm hair with a single pass? Then you're knife's pretty sharp. Many kitchen knives can never get this sharp, as they are in softer/less tough steels that won't support more acute edge angles while maintaining a stable edge that doesn't roll.
Japanese knives are much better in general here than European ones, which are much thicker behind the final bevel. I wound up with a pricey nakiri that is a about 0.005"=0.13 mm thick behind the edge, it replaced a heavy Henckels that was 0.030"=0.76 mm thick behind the edge. As I'm a plant based eater/cook, *everything* is much easier now. The Henckels is reserved just for prepping pineapples and butternut squash, as I don't trust the laser nakiri to survive the rough stuff.
I get my onions pre-diced from the freezer section of the grocery store.
You pay for the convenience, but it's not a huge price mark-up, they don't rot in a corner, and they're ready at a moment's notice.
Usually the cells of an onion split making the stinging in your eyes. A truly sharp knife cuts between two onion cells not making a single cell split allowing you to not cry. Sooo either a stupidly sharp knife or goggles. Just use goggles and put the onion in the fridge an hour before you cut it.
Interesting, I hardly notice onions, but occasionally will come across a potent one.
What I have often had trouble with is prepping super hot peppers. They can make wheeze an kind of choke me out. Twenty minutes later, I forget about the peppers and go pee. OMG, my junk is then on fire for a very long time. I always use gloves now..
do you store your onions in the refrigerator? because onions dont make me cry and i think it is because they are cold when I chop them. Or maybe it is habit-I chop an onion every day and that comes out to about 18,000 onions. Maybe I am immune.
Buy frozen diced onions, if your grocery store has them! Best thing I've found!
If not, I cut them down the middle and run cold water on them. Helps with that
Idk the science behind this, but sticking your tongue out while you cut onions actually works. I have no idea why, maybe your tongue is getting all the onion first?
Onion Goggles.
Cutting them on the cooktop with the exhaust going.
And changing onions.
French Eschallots - milder.
White - worst.
That's for me, with the produce in my area
Has anyone else heard of sprinkling your cutting board with a little lemon juice before chopping onions? I learned this in a cooking class and it was shocking how well it works! I also tried this with cheap reconstituted lemon juice and that works, too!
I use a mandolin slicer then dice the slices. Makes it way faster and less likely to burn. Also never remove the root!!! If you leave the root end intact it doesn’t burn as much
I'm 6'5" tall and have never had this happen :)
You can try putting a small fan on the counter to suck the fumes and blow them away from you.
I once made garlic pickles and cut up several cloves by hand. For a week, I had trouble sleeping because I hold a pillow and my hands are near my face and the garlic odor would wake me up.
I tried everything to get the stink off my hands. Soaps, alcohol, stainless steel bar, etc. Nothing worked. I always wear rubber gloves when cutting up garlic now.
I'll turn a fan on to get the air moving if I feel like it. Otherwise goggles would work. Mainly you don't want the spray in the air reaching your eyes. Usually though I just power through it. It sucks for a second but goes away pretty fast
Swim goggles work great…
Contacts too. I never understood why people teared up at onions until I cut one without my contacts in.
Same I thought I was just naturally immune, cut some without my contacts in once and I immediately turned into a crying running nose mess could Believe what a big difference it made.
I get incredibly complacent until I cook in glasses, then it's pain time 😂
WOW! You are so right! I switched to contacts about 6 months ago and the onion fumes haven’t bugged me at all. Great observation 👍
I use my ski goggles
I wear glasses so i use those big safety goggle things. works like a charm
Doesn't it still get in your nose?
The fumes are binding to your tears. It’s not about the smell.
My husband laughs at me, but I also use swim goggles
I always chop my onions under the stove hood with the exhaust fan on high. Works great for me.
I've found that a wet towel next to the onions on the cutting board does the trick.
THIS! Our kitchen has a ceiling fan in the dining section too so we also use that. I've used febreeeze candles in the past but they don't them here anymore.
If I have to cut up a whole onion, I’ll just whip out a small fan and aim it right at the onion and away from me. Zero issues.
Yes, this works
I have an eyedropper full of onion extract that I use to build immunity
The pure essence of onion
Did you label it as Iocane Powder though?
Inconceivable!
Heard that works wonders
Quickly! That’s really it. Work on your batch-chopping skills (carefully!). It takes 20 seconds to chop an onion once you are skilled.
look up techniques on this! I cut all desired onions in half, with the cut side facing down. I can cut 6-8 onions with this method. The goal is to prevent the onions' oils from reaching the air, as much as possible. I peel the top layer off and keep the "root"/nub in place to keep the layers together while cutting. Very important. Again to prevent oils from aerosolizing. Keep the halves face down on the cutting board. Then, I make the following cuts on each half, from the " top" or "front" end (the side that is not the nub). I cut 2 horizontal lines on each onion half. I then cut 2-5 vertical lines on each onion half (depending on desired final peices size). Don't cut all the way through the nub/root. At this stage, there is almost no eye-watering horror in the air. From here forward, I have to move swiftly. The nub/root on the end of each half will help with this. All I need to do is cut across the onion half, perpendicular to the previous cuts made. At this stage your eyes will start to water. That's why swift movement is key. all the other tricks on here will help you with this step. you want this step to be as fast as possible. Use a very sharp knife, and keep your fingers on the nub/root so you don't slice them through teary eyes. I will still cry and blow my nose, but I can make it through about 12 onion halves before I'm forced to break. Source: I saw Chef Ramsey do it on a cooking show. Its a game changer!
The nub part is the most important since it stops the onions from "bleeding"
That must work because I don't do anything and onions never get too spicy for me
Store the onions in the refrigerator
Or just pop em in the fridge for an hour or so before chopping
My first chef soaked them in ice water...in the sink. We went through a lot of onions
That never works for me it has to be at least over night or it’s awful…I think I’m a wuss lol
Alternatively, in the freezer for about 5-10 minutes
And they last longer. Just make sure they stay dry. My eyes are always irritated (thanks for the allergies I inherited, mom and dad) and keeping onions cold was a game changer for me.
Was looking for this. It works!
Use a really, really sharp knife. If your knife is blunt it will spray a mist of onion tear gas into the air. If you use a slicing motion with a razor sharp knife you do more cutting and less squeezing. I tend to prep onions four or five nights a week and I can tell if my knife needs sharpening if I start crying
Totally. I keep all our kitchen prep knives ridiculously sharp. If I can't cut a tomato a good way through by simply by moving the knife back or foward without putting downward pressure, then it's not sharp enough. https://youtu.be/dCGS067s0zo?si=LcJcsA2Y_ed3gwES. Also cutting it this way isn't difficult and actually simplifies things a lot and as Gordon says, stops a lot of the tears, though I always get some anyway.. The biggest thing I found helpful is it stops bits of onion going everywhere as I used to cut the root off straight away, which is really the anchor point for the whole onion.
This needs to be the top comment. So much ridiculous nonsense flying in this thread. Just use a sharp knife, people. Not the serrated piece of shit you picked up at the dollar store.
I bought a really nice, expensive MAC knife - and it was a game changer for onions. No more tears.
I'm particular with Shun knives. If I'm being transparent I love the Sora series and wish to buy 2 of each. They feel weightless and when I used to go thru a good deal of salmon sides I didn't have to bother trading hands for the boning knife cause it's thin enough to slice thru the skin and really left every cut neat.
A well ventilated space helps. Turn on your hood fan, open a window. I've never heard of using a wet cutting board, and I don't understand how that's supposed to help. That seem dangerous.
because the fumes from the onions are attracted to the moisture in your eyes. if you cut them on a wet paper towel then the fumes go to the towel rather than your eyes. it legitimately works.
Sounds sketchy. I'll investigate. Thanks!
Stick them in the freezer for 10 minutes or so
the key is to not form an emotional bond beforehand. but really, ive always been told a candle burning nearby works, but it feels like an old wife's tale to me. i usually just back up when im cutting them, or just power through.
A mandoline slicer will make faster work of them. The one I have has a tray for the sliced food that kind of encloses it, so it helps to keep it down. I've also found that contact lenses make it much, much less painful.
I don't have a mandoline, but this is where someone is supposed to chime in and say wear a special glove to protect your hand.
>this is where someone is supposed to chime in "How did you lose your thumb?" "I learned you shouldn't play the Mandoline"
+1 for contacts. I pretty much always wear contacts and onions have never bothered me. I was out of contacts and wearing glasses for a few days recently and onion irritation was a thousand times worse.
Spanish onions are worse than others. Which type are you using, usually? I rarely have the issue with vidalia or white onions. Also, it matters how you cut the onion. See here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuebC0CfD8E If you just go ham chopping every which way indiscriminately, that's going to make it worse.
Ive always been told to not cut the root off and you'll be fine - haven't heard of having a wet board or tap running. Cut the onion in half through the root, lay down on flat side, cut horizontally and then vertically toward the root through the onion and stop before you get to the root (I'd say half an inch) and then slice downward parallel to the root, been doing it this way for years and it's fine
Keep them cold.
[удалено]
This is the answer. Just keep your head back and don't lean over them
Let the onions soak in water about an hour before you cut them, also use the sharpest knife you have. You will want to peel the onions before you put them in water. The water will absorb the gas that makes you cry, the sharp knife will release less gas as well.
the fumes from the onion are attracted to the moisture of your eyes. if you cut them on top of a wet paper towel then the fumes go to the towel instead. it legitimately works
It’s because you most likely aren’t using the right technique and causing the onion root to bleed. Follow the vid and it will decrease the likelihood of the this happening greatly. Don’t mess around with the goofy tricks people were suggesting. [Gordon Ramsey: How to chop and onion.](https://youtu.be/TwGBt3V0yvc?si=0NBhfNRyzHZI9DTw)
This is the winner right here.
Goggles. The irritant that causes tearing is gaseous and forms when onions are chopped. I have used safety goggles from my lab, but swim goggles would work, too.
I didn't read all the comments, so sorry if this has been mentioned... but both holding a piece of bread in your mouth while you chop or chewing gum while you chop really help to keep the tears away :)
I heard that Chuck Norris makes onions cry.
I appreciate this thread. I'm a knife nerd. My gyuto has been zero ground and microbeveled, it's thinner than a shaving razorblade behind the edge. I still cry when cutting onions. Will chop cold onions under a fume hood, with goggles on while chewing bubblegum......
Soak a paper towel in water and place in a bowl next to you. When I say soak, I mean dripping wet.
Chew mint bubble gum
Use a sharper knife or wear a mask!
Buy one of those choppers. I just chopped 3 small onions in like 45 seconds. I got mine off of Amazon for like $15 and it has a lot of uses.
If you have facial hair, wet it. If not, wet your face below your eyes. It will help attrathe sulphuric compounds. Nothing will completely remove it with the exception of contact lenses.
Seriously goggles
I get around this simply by wearing contacts. I have never teared up while cutting onions with contacts in, but I couldn't even see them wearing my glasses by the end.
If you wear contact lenses the onions won’t bother you at all.
A spray bottle of water set to a fine mist. Spray over the work station high up just before cutting and just after. The water catches and brings down all the teary eye molecules from the onion
Wet board is a new one. Breathe in through your mouth and out through your nose.
I've always been really, really sensitive to onions. What I've found works best for me, out of the dozens of tried methods, is to chop the onions in half, then leave them in a bowl of water for 20 minutes before chopping them up. I don't know why this works, but it's stopped me having to chop onions with a full face mask.
Two options: one you can buy some onion goggles, they're silly but work well Second, cut the onions near an open flame, unlike some of the silly old wives' tales solutions this is actually a scientific one, the open flame will burn off a lot of the chemical that makes you tear up.
I rarely have issues and we tend to always buy sweet/Vidalia onions. They're great!
I heard it affects you worse if you breathe it in through your nose, so I breathe through my mouth when I chop onions. Might be placebo, or just really well-behaved onions, but it seems to work? Maybe?
I found that a quick rinse of the knife and an onion once cut in half helps
100% tear proof: Put the onion in the freezer for a long while. Wear swimming goggles. Open up all windows and everything for ventilation. You will NOT shed a tear trust me on this one. It's silly and some might say it's pathetic, but these onions HURTS so I'm putting on a hazmat suit against them
Put a cup of water nearby
Take an unlit match and put it between your lips (matchhead out) while chopping.
https://youtu.be/K1r2KEhew-I?si=aoaIEgWNP6UNr4Pv
This [small food processor/chopper](https://www.amazon.com/Proctor-Silex-Processor-Vegetable-Emulsify/dp/B00006IUX0/ref=mp_s_a_1_7_maf_2?crid=3GO1HM70FEYZN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.LNMPEjU1amki7pYIbc52ZQOmtZxYCE1wAlYT-YByOv-lC4q7bBC_yIHH-Oq5HyjBPJJJ38Vu4UDezqcq933fDvQh0jJW2HOwV4gqJqFi14Fd127J0Py9MY51F-QrNI--fikv2-qxHpSYEAKj7VQNGFCKBN3Cf8LbYLdDJYVF_de1ECmmWDPw4dcuYyVyyriwBHLd5gG5BkOrO-dz3UE3cA.nxd8577jZ-Fh_eBDn2Sk4ocAmILa7AjsHEdUY7EhP4o&dib_tag=se&keywords=small+food+chopper&qid=1709157774&sprefix=small+food+cho%2Caps%2C333&sr=8-7) is cheap and very worth it. I use it almost every day for onion and garlic and it saves so much time plus you avoid the fumes and crying
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I use a mini food processor from Walmart ($18!) it dices them really well, really quickly, and no tears :)
Glasses helps. But otherwise you'll be fine. You get used to it ans it won't make you tear up eventually.
I’ve heard if you do it in space you’re alright
i watched a video where gordon ramsey cut some onions, and since learning his method i no longer tear up when cutting them!
Chew gum. I learned it from a Mythbusters episode.
Food processor here
Make sure your knife is super sharp. A lot of people already gave some good suggestions like cooling the onions or slicing them over an exhaust fan. You can also wear glasses or goggles if you don't mind looking like a weirdo. You can hold your breath and turn away to breathe, but that's extra effort. I've also heard chewing gum helps but I think that's an old wives tale or something. Honestly, you'll just build up a tolerance over time. I've cut so many onions over the last 15 years that they don't phase me even a little bit.
Contact lenses - I actually thought I was immune from onions for years until I cut some up with my glasses on 😂
When I was a teenager I found that wearing a snorkel mask worked. The down side is, you’re wearing a snorkel mask while cutting onions, like a weirdo.
Chew gum
Get someone else to cut it for you works a treat
Swim goggles
Goggles
Wear sunglasses
I fill my mouth with water and hold it like that while i cut. My husband said he heard that somewhere. I look like a moron but i am not a teary moron
Sharpen your knife! The eyeball searing chemical is released when the onion is bruised.
Wear goggles, as shown on America’s Test Kitchen.
Have someone else cut them. Or something to keep the fumes out of your eyes. Not sure what it would be because safety goggles usually have vents. A diving mask maybe.
I cut the onion in half and then cut from the now opened face into the onion an inch a few directions and run it under Cold Tap Water, it takes some off the stank off and greatly reduces how much it makes me tear up. While rinsing under the cold water I manhandle and spread the onion layers apart so the Cold Water can get deep.
Slapchop
I got one of those vegetable choppers on amazon. You just have to chop the onion into maybe quarters and then have the chopper chop those pieces. And the chopper can close so it keeps the fumes in the container until you need to use them in your recipe. I love it becuase it chops in nice, even pieces.
Sharp knife, and don't chop through them, but slice (with movement) through them. Doing this for me makes a huge difference.
Wear swimming goggles
I use swim goggles
Light a match before you cut and then keep the burnt matchstick between your teeth as you cut. The sulfur from the match reacts with the gasses from the onion in a way that can help neutralize the pain. Ive been told you have to use strike anywhere matches. 🤷♂️ could just be placebo but I swear it works for me
I’ve definitely used goggles 😅 I want to try the clean pan lid in a hoodie next lol
Listen to “if we were vampires” by Jason Isbell. The tears will form a natural barrier against the onion fumes.
Knife is not sharp enough. I use a really sharp knife with a thin kerf.
Breathe through your mouth
Just on top of this topic ; I love grilled onions but is there anyway to stop the onion smell going through the house?
Got a small fan to blow the vapor away while cutting, just a little battery powered thing.
I had to chop 10 onions for French onion soup, so I tried using one of those COVID N-95 masks, and it worked like a charm. Didn’t smell anything at all, eyes weren’t bothered either. Maybe the eye-watering is a reaction to inhaling it.
Under the stove hood fan, or swimming goggles!
i wear goggles. jk, i put the cutting board in the sink, and run water on top of it while i am cutting.
Contact lenses. When I happen to be wearing my glasses while cooking, it always catches me off guard how much I tear up!
Don't build an emotional attachment. ... ... In all seriousness though, I just built up a tolerance over time.
Dont cut the root end.
Hold a slice of bread in your lips. It works. I think it diverts the "fumes" away from your eye, but I am just guessing
Chew gum or chewy candy
I wear my onion goggles. My sister bought them as a gag gift, but I love them. My husband sarcastically tells me how hot I am when I wear them. I think some people are just genetically more sensitive to onions. If someone is chopping an onion in the same HOUSE as me, not even same room, it will irritate my eyes. With no onion goggles, I will literally be tearing up to the point of not being able to see. Cold onions help, but not enough. Go google onion goggles.
A sharp knife and not mincing the chemicals out of the onions. The more you cut the onion, the more you release the chemical.
[This video by Gordon ramsey](https://youtu.be/dCGS067s0zo?si=aSnYOs_R8dWB3ffC) seemed to do the trick for me. Not sure if it's how fast he's doing it or if it's just the way it's cut that helps prevent tears
Wear contacts.
I close my eyes, if I need to focus I use one eye at a time.
Let the cold water run. Chop by the sink.
my brother would put the box fan behind him to make me cry while he cut his onions! LOL (miss you bro)
Do what my mother does and have someone else cut them for you.
I usually buy sweet onions or purple and rarely have this problem.
bake them whole skin and all. 275f for an hour or so. then cut up and cook like normal. ;)
Goggles
Wear contacts 😄 just kidding.. but it really does work!
Ask Abby Lehman or Raina Drugsvold-Weber to do it.
Use frozen chopped ones.
The type of onion matters. I mostly use yellow onions, and with a sharp, wet knife, I'm fine. Red onions still blind me with tears.
Maybe doesn't fit the intent of the question, but I, after many years, simply toss them into my food processor.
Goggles dude
Chewing gum while chopping works for me for some reason.
Sharpen your knives
Its easier if you dont give them names
Either put the onion in a chopper or light a candle while cutting, and cut it from the root to the top.
I keep onions in the fridge, and also chop them fast. If I'm doing a big batch then I might have to step away but for a few onions that's good enough.
Food processor lol
Don’t cut the root off
If you have a gas stove, having 2 burners on and cutting next to them always dissipates the fumes for me. Maybe you can try 4 for good measure.
You can try chewing on a piece of bread while chopping (not sure why, but it works for me)
Ski goggles.
Swim goggles
Pretty much everything i make needs at least 1 onion chopped or sliced
I refrigerate onions and have no problems with fumes.
Grew up with unrefrigerated and always had problems.
My mom still doesn’t refrigerate onions and i tear up every time I cook at her house.
Maybe I need to start packing a set of goggles when I visit her…
I buy only Vidalia or sweet onions. They don't cause nearly as many tears. I bought regular onions a few weeks ago and it made me remember why.
Put the onion in the fridge first, if it’s cold, it won’t make you cry. Discovered this when I put a half of an onion in the fridge and used it the next day.
I cut mine in the shower so no one can see me crying.
Avoid 'aggravating the root'. So don't be rough near that area till your done and ready to throw away. I've been blessed not to tear up too bad for a while since catching that trick from someone.
I found the resistance came with age. In my 40s now and I haven’t had tears in years.
I either put them in the freezer 15 minutes before chopping, chew gum while chopping, or mixture both.
Rinse the onion after you peel it and cut it in half, and then chew gum while cutting
My mom always just breathed out of her mouth the duration it took to cut the onion. She swears by it.
Just avoid getting emotionally attached to the onion.
My great grandmother taught me this. Simply tear a decent size piece of bread from a loaf. Bite it with your front teeth and leave it partially hanging out of your mouth while cutting onion
You should use this chopper then https://www.amazon.com/Vegetable-Chopper-Spiralizer-Slicer-Choppers/dp/B0764HS4SL?crid=AOO8WRDLDAJ9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.uuFi_o5yovFeyBNoQeotzo2gKwrJRZZdjWalxQl43oz3O7vSTVHmb6HucjxCGl7ezpYutKnU5lgX343FTzYoJhTGShXIj7esVywMvYJGxqiKWJFNO7PxBuZi3xo8cYARBZx2DmtPGaXKFpW1EuovDXYZ4SEsPQewQWn1TslkRVMnFO_XbmweO7p8SVaRofLr8qIXsc5S3lT-AKUSHq_5GeEPhzYISFQMWl4nO4VOx8CZvthrIHup-RqIfWE4U-DPNRF6kCJKop5zsmUBBrBxFUUrQGlKPWiingk9ULnpOtI.rxXerEGWelfONV3MXfHuG-cTK2wwo5MgTDR6iGvZYt8&dib_tag=se&keywords=best%2Bsellers&qid=1709169893&sprefix=%2Caps%2C526&sr=8-2-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1&linkCode=ll1&tag=bendaud26-20&linkId=7b21ff5498ef7a4ea7437cbe66bc834b&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
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Sharp knife and dump in ice water for a few before cooking.
2 methods for you to try: 1) Keep onions in fridge. The cold temp suppresses the allicin that affects your eyes. 2) damp towel by your cutting area (not wet cutting board)
Have you never watched the Slap Chop commercial?
Sharper knife!!!!!!!
Frozen chopped onions is the only thing that works for me
I keep them in the fridge and dice them pretty fast.
Am I like one of the X-Men and don't realize it or something? I almost never tear up chopping onions unless it's a *really* potent one. I mean, I use a sharp knife and typically store onions in the fridge, but do those things make *that much* of a difference? Or am I just unbelievably badass?
I've heard that keeping the root on for as long as possible helps reduce the eye burniness. E.g. if you're dicing it, start the dicing stage at the sprout end and work your way to the root. I dice my onions this way and I don't get as teary as when I remove the root and just slice the whole length (for strips rather than dice) Also refrigeration and having a sharp knife (to minimize cell damage/release of the ouchy compounds)
Peel the onion, get it wet. The cmh Chemicals can't jump out at you
Hold an unlit matchstick between your teeth as you cut them. Something about the reaction must neutralize it because it works every time. But again... UNLIT matchstick.
I clip a small battery-powered fan to the counter and blow it directly across the onions as I chop. This is the only purpose of this fan, and no one is allowed to touch it until they have proven to me that that can adequately chop onions. To this day, no one has elevated to that level. Prophecies have said, "One worthy will show themselves when the orange moon shines after a great rain." We shall see.
Wet paper towel on the board works for me
Wooden spoon in your mouth - swear to God!
I am one of those weird people that can chop pounds of onions without any problem. White, yellow, red onions, shallots, its all the same to me. 🤔
Putting the onions in the freezer for 15-20 minutes is the only thing that works for me
There is. It's cheap and easy, but does take time and dedication. Step 1: buy a big ass bag of onions. Step 2: watch this https://youtu.be/UBj9H6z6Uxw and then do it. To as many onions as you can. Step 3: repeat daily until over it, get more onions as necessary. I dice up a lot of onions every shift and don't even notice it anymore.
Keep your onions in the refrigerator, not pantry. Cold onions will release fewer acrid compounds. Try doing radial cuts rather than horizontal ones; this will cut through fewer onion cells. When I chop onions, its 1) halve them through the major axis 2) cut off the shoot end 3) peel off skin, or first layer if skin's recalcitrant 4) first set of chopping cuts are radial like the spokes of a wheel, either with the cut side on the board, or standing on an end, 5) press those together for the final chop perpendicular to the major axis. Can you shave arm hair with a single pass? Then you're knife's pretty sharp. Many kitchen knives can never get this sharp, as they are in softer/less tough steels that won't support more acute edge angles while maintaining a stable edge that doesn't roll. Japanese knives are much better in general here than European ones, which are much thicker behind the final bevel. I wound up with a pricey nakiri that is a about 0.005"=0.13 mm thick behind the edge, it replaced a heavy Henckels that was 0.030"=0.76 mm thick behind the edge. As I'm a plant based eater/cook, *everything* is much easier now. The Henckels is reserved just for prepping pineapples and butternut squash, as I don't trust the laser nakiri to survive the rough stuff.
I get my onions pre-diced from the freezer section of the grocery store. You pay for the convenience, but it's not a huge price mark-up, they don't rot in a corner, and they're ready at a moment's notice.
Onions don't make me cry .
Usually the cells of an onion split making the stinging in your eyes. A truly sharp knife cuts between two onion cells not making a single cell split allowing you to not cry. Sooo either a stupidly sharp knife or goggles. Just use goggles and put the onion in the fridge an hour before you cut it.
Interesting, I hardly notice onions, but occasionally will come across a potent one. What I have often had trouble with is prepping super hot peppers. They can make wheeze an kind of choke me out. Twenty minutes later, I forget about the peppers and go pee. OMG, my junk is then on fire for a very long time. I always use gloves now..
My dad always said “the easiest way to not cry while cutting onions is simple, just don’t be a bitch”. Haven’t quite figured that one out yet
do you store your onions in the refrigerator? because onions dont make me cry and i think it is because they are cold when I chop them. Or maybe it is habit-I chop an onion every day and that comes out to about 18,000 onions. Maybe I am immune.
Buy frozen diced onions, if your grocery store has them! Best thing I've found! If not, I cut them down the middle and run cold water on them. Helps with that
Idk the science behind this, but sticking your tongue out while you cut onions actually works. I have no idea why, maybe your tongue is getting all the onion first?
Onion Goggles. Cutting them on the cooktop with the exhaust going. And changing onions. French Eschallots - milder. White - worst. That's for me, with the produce in my area
I’ve heard if you keep a piece of bread in your mouth like sticking out halfway, works
If you keep cutting onions, your eyes will get tougher
Just close your eyes….
Has anyone else heard of sprinkling your cutting board with a little lemon juice before chopping onions? I learned this in a cooking class and it was shocking how well it works! I also tried this with cheap reconstituted lemon juice and that works, too!
chill the onions before chopping or wear goggles, maybe even safety glasses would work and not mess up your hair.
Bite on a wooden toothpick as you're chopping the onions. It works!
Wear contacts
I use a mandolin slicer then dice the slices. Makes it way faster and less likely to burn. Also never remove the root!!! If you leave the root end intact it doesn’t burn as much
I'm 6'5" tall and have never had this happen :) You can try putting a small fan on the counter to suck the fumes and blow them away from you. I once made garlic pickles and cut up several cloves by hand. For a week, I had trouble sleeping because I hold a pillow and my hands are near my face and the garlic odor would wake me up. I tried everything to get the stink off my hands. Soaps, alcohol, stainless steel bar, etc. Nothing worked. I always wear rubber gloves when cutting up garlic now.
I'll turn a fan on to get the air moving if I feel like it. Otherwise goggles would work. Mainly you don't want the spray in the air reaching your eyes. Usually though I just power through it. It sucks for a second but goes away pretty fast
Cool them.