We tried it: 7 hacks, tricks and gimmicks to prevent onion tears | Feast and Field: Food Begins in the Field

A lot of people today have hacks they swear by for tear-no cost onion cutting, and we decided to give a number of of the a lot more promising approaches a try out . But 1st, why do onions make us cry? A lot like a skunk releases its powerful odor when spooked or to protect alone, an onion emits chemicals (primarily sulfenic acid) that warn us (or critters in your yard) to keep away so that it may mature to maturity and reproduce. The more cells of the onion that are harmed, the far more substances are emitted. When they strike our eyes, we cry to flush the burning sensation away.

We grabbed a bag of yellow onions and set some of the most popular hacks to the exam. Below are our success.

Consequence: Do you glance absurd carrying goggles when reducing onions? Of system. But does it protect against crying? Certainly! Any barrier amongst onion gasses and your eyes will control your likelihood of crying. You can invest in specialty onion goggles, but any goggles that healthy limited versus your skin, like swimming goggles, will get the job done. (In a pinch, even sun shades will enable at minimum minimize the range of tears shed.)

Final result: Except you prepare to established the full onion on fire, really do not plan on this working.

Outcome: Frequent lore states that onion gasses are captivated to moisture, so would a moist paper towel beneath the onion work? Turns out… not seriously. Were there less tears? It’s possible. But not enough to make it a normal apply when we slash onions.

Result: It is claimed that the acidity of vinegar counteracts the sulfenic acid of the onion. We spritzed vinegar on the onion soon after slicing it in 50 % and enable it sit for 5 minutes prior to reducing — and it did appear to reduce tears a little bit.

Result: It is claimed that starting up with a cold onion will help protect against the chance of tears, as it slows the release of gasses when the onion is minimize. It worked! Perhaps not as nicely as other strategies, but putting the onion in the fridge for 30 minutes before reducing produced a apparent distinction.

Result: Turning on the kitchen vent or supporter draws the sulfenic acid away from the onion and your eyes, supplied you are standing specifically under the vent.

Outcome: Of all the techniques we tried using, a great sharp knife was the ideal at stopping tears a sharp knife cuts cleanly and for that reason more carefully, detrimental and bruising much less onion cells.