How to Prevent Teary Eyes While Chopping Onions

All of us knew that chopping onion makes our eyes weep. Onions are part of the plant genus Allium along with garlic, chives, leeks and about 400 other cousins. These vegetables absorb sulfur in the earth, which helps form a class of volatile organic molecules called amino acid sulfoxides. These sulfoxides are the real tear-jerkers when onions go under the knife.

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Because of this characteristic of an onion, people are having hard time chopping onions. I did make a research and gain knowledge through other people’s experiences. I tried them and proven to be a fact. I want to share it with you guys so here are the ways of preventing eyes from weeping while chopping onions.

Soaking the Onions in a Bowl of Water

Peel the skin of the Onions completely and cut the onions into half. Leave the cut onions in a bowl of water for ten (10) minutes. Take them out and cut/dice them in the way you want without having teary eyes. This is because the water neutralizes the acid in the onion.

Lighting a Candle while Chopping Onions

Light a candle before peeling and cutting an onion. Place the lighted candle a foot away from you. Start cutting/chopping the onions without tears in your eyes. The lighted candle absorbs the acid of the onions in the air.

Chewing a Gum while Chopping Onions

Chew a gum constantly to avoid weeping while chopping onions.

Chill the Onions

Chill the onions in the freezer before cutting them. Chilling the onions reduces the amount of the acid enzyme released into the air.

I hope these tips give a little help to you especially to those who love to cook.

P.S. You may add another ways to prevent eyes from weeping while cutting onions via comments in this article.