Chopping onions

Even looking at these devil vegetables brings me to tears.
Any tips to stop me bawling like a baby every time I chop them.
I tried using sunglasses, doesn’t work, closing my eyes is a bit dangerous and under water is a pain.

Dip your hands in water now and then whilst chopping them.

or

I tried swimming goggles once to see if it made a differnce and it worked great!

I’ve heard chopping them under a running tap works, but have never tried it.

The stingy bit is in the root end, so if you cut the top up first, then save the root bit until last it should at least reduce the tears!

MTFU crying is for little girls

According to the radio this morning – put a bowl of water nearby while cutting the onions.

What Stumpy said.

Don’t cut root end off. Slice in half lengthways, then slice the length of the onion almost to the root end. Then slice across the onion starting from the tip. When you get close to the root – stop.
That seemed a lot cleared before I re-read it!

Works most of the time for me.

Si

Hold a bit of bread in your mouth while chopping.

Never ever get tears since I followed the Ken Hom method of chopping onions.

[edit]same as this but just a slice off the side of the onion rather than chopping in half to start.

very shallow breathing works for me.

Learn to chop them faster 🙂

The stingly bit is in the whole thing, not just the end. When you cut it, it starts a breakdown that releases sulphurous gases, which ends up being sulphuric acid when it mixes with your eye fluids. Nice!

oh, and try not to blink
and squint

Use red onions or shallots

as above, don’t cut the root, work quickly and use a really sharp steel knife. If you’re cutting an ass load of onions the tears will come eventually but one or two are no problem.

Step back a bit. If you’ve got your head directly over what you’re cutting you’ll get a faceful.

I noticed that they were selling onion-specific goggles in John Lewis last weekend. For £23. I laughed.

http://www.johnlewis.com/onion-goggles-white/p231281852?kpid=231281852&s_kenid=46841345-7870-2308-9a4b-00002466ec81&s_kwcid=129×43571&tmad=c&tmcampid=73

Did you cry laughing?

see Diva – still a favourite film — guy chops onions using snorkel mask, classic.

Breathing shallowly and breathing only through my mouth seems to work for me. As does wearig a tea towel in a bandit cowboy bandana type fashion. Though, on reflection, the latter may be less to do with chopping onions.. 😉

Don’t know why the above work as apparently the reaction is due to Sulphuric gases hitting the eyes and the eyes then watering to wash them away..

Chopping board on hob, extraction on, proper knife so that you slice not squash

Do they do those John Lewis goggles with prescription lenses?

I wouldn’t like to be never knowingly under-fingered.

Chew mint flavoured gum while chopping them, never cry again.

I could have suggested a pair of goggles but id actually just recommend growing a pair

Have your butler do it?

I always follow the method in the link posted by DezB – no tears when chopping onions since I started doing this about 20 years ago.

Slightly less waffly video:

I just make the children do it !

smear of chilli under each eyelid before you start, the acids counteract each other….

top and bottom, then make the vertical cuts first, then the horizontal to finish.

Can’t believe no one has said it

Put them in the fridge, don’t store them there but put them in 30 minutes before you chop them.

No more tears

It’s not your eyes that are irritiated, it’s your nose.

If you want definitive proof of this, put a peg on your nose and chop onions – no tears. Then take the peg off and instant tears*.

I just learned to breathe through my mouth only and not my nose – problem solved.

Wear contact lenses.

+1 for contacts

As daft as it sounds, put a piece of bread I between your top lip and gum. You’ll look like Lesley Ash but it works…

Try the nose thing! It’s dinnertime, go do it now!

Ok so perhaps a peg is extreme, but stuff some balled up kitchen towel up there. You’ll be amazed.

It’s not your eyes that are irritated, it’s your nose.

I wear contact lenses, and don’t have a problem – proof that it’s NOT your nose 🙂

MX goggles. Problem sorted.

A couple of drops of Sarsons vinegar in each eye works wonders. I ve tried other brands but dont have the same results.

Nah, its the eyes.

Like others have said, never had an issue whilst wearing contacts. Now only wear contacts for sports and it still surprises me when chopping a strong one…

Just buy a decent knife.

Hitch your left trouser leg up to the knee and tap your right foot rhythmically.
Might help.

Simples
cutting the onion releases microdroplets of nasties 😥
so place chopping board on cooker and turn on the extractor if you have one
all the nasties go up the cooker hood 😀

Never had a problem – chop top only off, peel skin off then slice thin slices vertically BUT DO NOT cut cleanly down

Stop the cut near the bottom

Then rotate by 90 degrees and do the same vertical cuts

Should now have thin ‘pillars’ of onion, all attached to the root

Now spin the onion onto its side and cut thin slices from the top to the bottom. Discard the root

No tears, no fuss