“If you place a wet paper towel next to your onion while cutting, the wet paper towel will absorb the chemical instead of your eyes. “Now THIS is a tip you can use.” Thousands of Facebook users responded to the post worldwide, with many giving the hack the thumbs up.
Does a wet rag help with cutting onions?
Wet some paper towel and keep it on the cutting board. The acidity from onions gravitate towards water. So instead of hitting your tear ducts it’ll seep towards the wet paper towel instead.”
What helps crying from onions?
It takes foresight, but chilling peeled, halved onions in the fridge or in a bowl of ice water for 30 minutes can lessen the chemical’s effect. As Kate Winslow and Guy Ambrosino explain in Onions Etcetera, both cold temperatures and water make syn-propanethial-S-oxide less volatile.
What is the onion trick?
First up is the paper towel method, which became a popular #onionhack topic on TikTok in 2021. The trick is to place a damp paper towel next to the onion while cutting to help absorb some of the tear-inducing chemicals.
Does running water help with cutting onions?
Cut the onion near hot running water or a cloud of steam.
Steam from a kettle, hot running water or pan of water will draw away the sulfoxide (gas) from the onion keeping your eyes safe and tear-free.
Does putting a wet paper towel next to an onion work?
“If you place a wet paper towel next to your onion while cutting, the wet paper towel will absorb the chemical instead of your eyes. “Now THIS is a tip you can use.”
What to put on cutting board when cutting onions?
If you want to cut onions, but avoid burning eyes, you can rub the chopping board with vinegar beforehand. The acidity of the vinegar neutralizes the essences that trigger the flow of tears.
How do chefs cut onions without crying?
For starters, make sure you’re using a sharp knife. The sharper your knife, the less likely you are to cry when you chop an onion. A dull knife will actually smash the onion rather than slice it cleanly, so the onion lets out more of the compound that irritates the eyes.
How do I stop my eyes from watering when cutting onions?
Chill Onions Before Chopping
Onions’ irritating compounds waft most easily through warm air. Chill the onions to be chopped in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes before chopping to keep these compounds from rising up toward your eyes.
How do you protect your eyes from cutting onions?
The fourth method is using goggles while cutting the onion. This works the best while cutting onions because the fumes never reach your eyes. The only down side is that you may look a little goofy wearing goggles while cooking.
Why do we cry when we cut onions?
When an onion is sliced or diced, the onion’s cells release these compounds into the air. When this occurs, “enzyme” works to alter the amino acids into lachrymator compounds. This form of sulfuric acid irritates the nerves around the eyes making them tear.
Are onions attracted to water?
“The acid that’s in onions? It’s attracted to a water source,” the woman in the video explains. Usually that’s your tear ducts, but, she claims, if you put a wet folded paper towel on your cutting board, the acid will be drawn to that instead.
Why does putting an onion in the freezer help prevent you from crying?
They contain enzymes that become an acid, which triggers the tears. Putting an onion in the freezer can reduce the acid enzymes that are released.
How do you cut an onion without bleeding?
Five Tips to Cut Onions Without Tears
- Use a sharp knife. A sharp knife will cause less damage to cell walls, and fewer irritants will be released.
- Keep the exposed cuts away from you.
- Cut the onion properly.
- Chill the onions.
- Run the vent hood.
Do contacts prevent onion crying?
Adding another barrier between your eyes and the onions will reduce the amount of vapour reaching your eyes. Glasses and contact lenses have been shown to help.
Is onion smell attracted to water?
The idea behind this is that the acid onions release is attracted to a water source (aka your eyes and nose), so if you place another water source — in this case, a wet paper towel — closer to the onions and their tear-inducing acids, then you shouldn’t cry.
Why do onions get wet?
Moisture could be affected by growing conditions, age, and how the onion was handled and cured after harvest. (During “curing” the onions are set aside to dry out. Once the outer leaves and neck have dried, shelf life increases.) In any event, the liquid won’t hurt you and is nothing to worry about.
Does lighting a candle help when cutting onions?
– My favorite trick is to light a large candle near the cutting board. The flame will help burn off the sulfur compounds released by the onion. Or, if you have a gas stove and a steady, safe place near it where you can place the cutting board, slice the onion there.
How do you cut onions without crying paper towels?
The Australian woman, Shilo, posted on Facebook, where she said she puts a piece of wet towel next to the onion when she chops it in order to prevent crying. This works because the chemical is absorbed by the towel instead of your eyes.
Should you chop onions on a wood cutting board?
Clean-washing plastic boards are better for chicken and fish for this reason, and if you’re just cutting an onion or smashing a few cloves of garlic, go with plastic too. The smell doesn’t sink into plastic so deeply and is easier to wash out. For hard vegetables like carrots, turnips and potatoes, stick with wood.
How do professional chefs deal with onions?
Use this foolproof chopping method:
Cut the whole onion in half, cutting through the root and bulb, and peel [off] the outer layer. Next, cut the bulb’s top off and a small amount of the root (leaving some of the thicker part connecting it to the onion).