All you need to cut an onion without crying is to have a sharp knife. A sharp knife produces cleaner cuts and reduces the amount of compound that disperses through the air.
You’ve begun preparing meals at home more frequently, and you’re pleased with the progress your knife-cutting abilities have made.
Chopping, mincing, dicing – sure.
But can you cut an onion without crying?
If you are still struggling with cutting onions, it’s probably not because of their form or difficult structure, but rather because they have the power to make almost everyone’s eyes wet, onions remain one of the roughest ingredients to chop.
Even the most experienced chef can tear up over a single crisp, raw onion.
If onions weren’t a major, basic ingredient, this wouldn’t be a problem.
Nevertheless, they are.
So you will need to learn how to cut an onion without crying if you want to appreciate the gentle taste of a pico de gallo or the crisp delicacy of an onion ring.
Why Onions Cause Tears
It helps to first comprehend the precise reason why it is hard to cut an onion without crying.
Onions have sulfur compounds that give them their harsh taste, as well as the synthase enzyme.
Syn-propanediol S-oxide is a chemical that is created as soon as an onion is cut.
This gas, which is emitted into the atmosphere, stimulates our eyes’ lacrimal glands and makes them wet.
With just this information, it is now simpler to identify techniques you will need to cut an onion without crying.
How to Cut an Onion Without Crying – Prep
Reducing the quantity of gas emitted and preventing as much gas from getting into contact with our eyes are the two techniques to cut an onion without crying
You need to damage the onion as minimally as possible in order to lessen the amount of gas emitted.
While working with onions, the fewer cell walls that are destroyed, the fewer gas leaks and causes rip.
The easiest technique to do the minimum damage to an onion is to use a sharp knife.
In contrast to a dull knife, which essentially smashes the flesh and spreads the tear-jerking gas in the air, a sharp knife simply cuts through the onion.
In general, it’s preferable to have a sharp, high-quality knife on available when chopping any component.
For so many kitchen cutting jobs, a utility knife with a blade length of 4 to 7 inches or a chef’s knife with a blade length of 8 to 12 inches are ideal.
You may also use a fine paring knife for smaller onions. Also, a paring knife works well for specialized tasks like peeling and removing bruises.
Regardless of the knife you use, make sure the blade is sufficiently sharp by cutting through a ripe tomato or a piece of paper.
The blade is prepared to cut some onions if it cuts through smoothly.
You could discover that some kinds of onions irritate your eyes more than others.
As a general rule, the quantity of syn-propanethial-S-oxide increases with onion pungency.
For instance, some claim that white and yellow onions make them more sensitive than sweeter kinds like red or Vidalia onions.
When you have your onions, keep them in a chilly place.
While cooling onions isn’t a widespread technique, doing so results in a slower rate of gas release without compromising taste and it gets easier to cut an onion without crying.
How to Cut an Onion Without Crying – Process
It’s time to begin cutting. The goal is to keep as much of the irritating gas out of our eyes as we can.
Other sources advocate simple techniques like chewing gum, stuffing a bread slice in your mouth, or chopping onions under running water, but they have not been scientifically proven to be effective.
Start by severing the stem end of the entire onion with a sharp knife, where the onion skin congregates.
Attempt to just remove the skin from the portion of the onion you’re slicing, leaving the root end intact.
The root end of onion contains the largest concentration of sulphuric chemicals that cause eye tears.
It’s better to cover or reposition the onion’s exposed areas as you chop.
For instance, after chopping an onion in half lengthwise, from root to stem end, set the pieces flat side down on the cutting board.
In addition to putting the onion in a secure, ready-to-cut position and preventing it from rolling away, this helps prevent the gas from seeping into the air.
Remove the peel of one half. Starting at the onion’s cut end and cutting just partially through to the root, begin slicing longitudinally to the desired thickness.
By first cutting only a little portion of the onion’s cells, less gas is released.
Just cut off the base end of the onion part once you’ve cut completely through it.
Based on the onion’s size, keep the onion half tightly in place with your hand or fingers as you slice down laterally, from the cut end to the base.
Lastly, crosswise cut the onion, beginning from the top once more. You’ll be left with a stack of nicely chopped onions after this.
Remember to put all of your chopped onions in a container and move it to a different location in your kitchen.
You will be able to cut an onion without crying if you do this, which will make the task simpler, faster, and easier overall.
