Onions, onions, and more onions....

Onions when cut are eye irritants and yes just like you I also cry when cutting onions even if I'm happy. When you cut an onion, you break cells, releasing their contents. Amino acid sulfoxides form sulfenic acids. Enzymes that were kept separate now are free to mix with the sulfenic acids to produce propanethiol S-oxide, a volatile sulfur compound that wafts upward toward your eyes. This gas reacts with the water in your tears to form sulfuric acid. The sulfuric acid burns, stimulating your eyes to release more tears to wash the irritant away. This is the reason why we cry. To avoid this, they say it's better to soak the onions in water or place salts near the chopping board. I am doing the latter and it seems to be working on me.

There is a little trick that helps so the eyes aren't quite as strong and burn your eyes so bad. It is to put your onions in the fridge. When we cut up cold onions the juices don't come out as easily if the onion is cold, therefore it doesn't burn as bad. Or if you don't have any cold onions, you forgot to put more in the fridge after you used up the ones that were in the fridge already, then just tun ice cold water over them before using. That helps too.

Funny you asked. Before I had kids my eyes never cried while chopping onions. But now I find that I cry easily while chopping onions. But luckily I have someone in the kitchen to help me do it.

hi dhangski! I also don’t like chopping onions! Like you, it always makes me cry. ^__^;; I don’t know what it is about onions that make people cry. I also don’t like eating onions. I only eat it in food if its thoroughly cooked. I don’t eat it in burgers, salads, etcetera. My previous boss though loves onion so much. Imagine this, he can eat rice with fresh onion! I mean, he can eat fresh onions with rice. Whatever. ^__^;; he eats fresh onions that’s what matters. I remember one time he ate his lunch with only rice and one onion. Ugh. I can’t imagine how he was able to eat it. .

I really hate the onions, very much. When I chop this hateful ball, my eyes are alway hurt Then someone told me, put the onions under water when chopping, that can avoid of tearing, I have tried several times, it is virtual, so you can try hehe^^ enjoy your onions

I don't really know what is with onions that when we are chopping it, it makes our tears fall. I remember my father told me that to control the tears while chopping onions, you may eat a piece of it. Or you place a small amount of salt beside the chopping board. I hope this will help the next time you prepare food for the kids... miss you...

Somebody once told me that putting some sandwich bread in your mouth while cutting onions reduces the crying from them. I actually use a lot of onions when I cook and I can't even remember the time when I have cried because of them.

oh i forgot to include that in my response to your previous discussion. Anyways i really hate also onions when chopping as well as eating it too. I forgot why it causes us cry but they say to avoid onions to make us cry is to put the onions on the freege to lessen the effects or it may no longer make you cry.

Wearing glasses glasses can help block the fumes from reaching your eyes. If you do not normally wear glasses keep an old pair of sunglasses in the kitchen. I think it helps.

yes, just like you i can't control my tears when im chopping onions but some says that if your going to chop an onion just put salt at your side or when you finish peeling the onion, wash it in running water before chopping.,well it works! hehehe! and if you do have a problem about the smell of the onions in your hand.,just wash your hands in running water while rubbing your hands or holding a knife.,the smell in your hands will vanish.,!

Hi dhangski, I hate onions too, not just while chopping, here's my secret "I do not eat onions" I check every thing I eat If there's an onion then I segregate it on other side of my plate. Just a tip: Peeling the onion and then chilling it in the refrigerator before you slice it will minimize the release of gas somewhat, because the change in temperature alters the compounds in the onion. Cooking an onion before you slice it will work also, for the same reason. Another easy solution is to cut the onion under water or run the tap over it as you slice.Happy mylotting!

I use to work in a restaurant where we chopped many onions at one time. Our head chef went to cooking school at Johnson and Wales. When he came back he taught me a neat trick with an onion--as I always had eyes stinging and tearing because some of the onions were really strong. If you peel the onion and slice it in half but don't cut the end off of the onion--it is suppose to cut down on the stinging of the eyes. I have cut an onion like this since the day I learned it. It does "cut" down a lot--I think it depends on how strong the onion is. Try it---see what you think.

I think the acids in the onions are so strong that they just realease tears from your eyes. This happened to me today actually. The thing is I hate onions so much If I eat one I will either dry heave or throw up. Its that bad! But I have no problem with cutting them really, except that smell you get on your hands for about 2 days...

I'm just like you. Tears would flow down my eyes whenever I chop onions. What I do to lessen this is that I slice it on top and bottom then I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes. It works for me and I hope it works for you too sis. Good luck.

i really dont know what its made up ..but i guess i know some tips on how to lessen the tears while chopping or slicing it my friend told me that i have to have one glass of water beside me or in the table while chopping on it..well i dont know if it works since i seldom chopped oneand havent try it since i always forgot..and the other one is to rinse after peeling it off..

Hi dhangski, I guess it has some scientific explanation but I am like you also, that is why, I tried to extend my arm anytime I will chop so at least, my eyes will be quite far and to avoid having tears due to onions..LOL!In our superstition...LOL, a woman who experience it will not have a good relationship with in-laws, luckily to me, it didn't happen..LOL!

It used to bother me a lot, but I don't notice it any more. I don't know if I'm doing it differently than I used to or what. I'll peel the onion and then slice the end off for a flat surface. Then I take the knife and make parallel cuts across that flat surface, usually as deep as the knife is. Then I turn it and make parallel cuts again, but these will cross the ones already made. So, the onion is still in one piece, but has maybe half-inch deep cuts in the flat end. Then I put it on the cutting board and slice the end with the cuts. When I'm done slicing down to the bottom of the cuts, I have many pieces of diced onion. If I want more, I either do the same thing again or I make the original cuts deeper before slicing. It works for me, anyway. I don't have to slice it and dice it - I just pretty much slice it and it's already diced.

Hi I hate cutting onions but have to this every day. In addition to the tears I don't like the smell which will last the entire day. While chopping the onion, it releases a chemical that make us cry. Onion cells have two kinds of enzymes in it and when it rupture these enzyme will react with each other and produce a new chemical which create tears.

[b]While cutting onions a gas is released which mingles with the moisture in our eyes and causes an irritating sensation. To overcome this irritation our eyes bring forth the tears. THats why we cry. Heres an article that helps and gives tips on how to avoid crying while chopping onions. [/b] When you slice through an onion, you break open a number of onion cells. Some of these cells have enzymes inside of them, and when they are sliced open, the enzymes escape. The enzymes then decompose some of the other substances that have escaped from sliced cells. Some of these substances, amino acid sulfoxides, form sulfenic acids, which then quickly rearrange themselves into a volatile gas. The gas reaches your eyes and reacts with the water that keeps them moist. This changes the chemical's form again, producing, among other things, a mild sulfuric acid, which irritates the eyes. The nerve endings in your eyes are very sensitive and so they pick up on this irritation (this is why our eyes sting when we slice onions). The brain reacts by telling your tear ducts to produce more water, to dilute the irritating acid so the eyes are protected. Your other reaction is probably to rub your eyes, but this will actually make the irritation a lot worse, of course, if you have onion juices all over your hands. Oddly enough, this volatile compound is also responsible for a lot of the great taste in onions, as well as the pleasant aroma when you cook the vegetable. You'll also get sulfenic acids by cutting up garlic, chives and leeks, among other vegetables, but they don't form the same irritating gas, just a strong smell. There are all kinds of remedies for dealing with this irritating phenomenon, some more effective than others. As a general rule, move your head as far away from the onion as you can, so the gas will mostly disperse before it reaches your eyes. If you really can't stand the tears, the simplest solution might be to wear goggles. This measure is very effective, but it may seem a bit extreme to those around you, and if your kitchen is steamy, you might not be able to see what you're doing (never a good idea when you're using a knife). Peeling the onion and then chilling it in the refrigerator before you slice it will minimize the release of gas somewhat, because the change in temperature alters the compounds in the onion. Cooking an onion before you slice it will work also, for the same reason. Another easy solution is to cut the onion under water or run the tap over it as you slice. Some people say if you hold a lemon, piece of bread or a sugar cube in your mouth, the food will absorb the gas before it reaches your eyes. Breathing with your mouth, instead of your nose, might also help because as you inhale, you suck the gas in and as you exhale, you blow it away. This keeps a lot of the gas from ever reaching your eyes.

Hi dhangski!You know i really love eating cooked onions so its always present in my cooking.However sometimes, it made me cry while chopping it because it irritates our eyes but it doesn't stop me from having it in my cooking