Stop Crying While Chopping Onions With This Simple Trick

Have you ever started chopping an onion for a recipe and suddenly felt that familiar stinging sensation in your eyes? Within seconds, you can’t see clearly anymore as the tears start flowing. You’re left rubbing your eyes while trying not to cut your fingers!

This annoying and slightly painful experience is caused by sulfuric acid that is released when an onion’s cell walls are ruptured during chopping. Onions contain enzymes called alliinases that break down sulfur compounds into irritating sulfenic acids when exposed to air, which then waft towards your eyes.

Many home remedies have been suggested over the years to prevent crying while cutting onions – placing the onion under cold water while cutting, using a very sharp knife, chewing gum as you chop, and more. But do any of these tricks actually work?

In this post, you’ll learn an incredibly simple kitchen hack that has been proven to work better than any other – soaking your onions in water before chopping.

Why Soaking Onions Stops Those Tears

By allowing your onion to soak in water ahead of cutting it, the activity of the alliinase enzymes is slowed down. This prevents them from converting as many sulfur compounds that would later cause irritation. So less sulfenic acid reaches your eyes, meaning less stinging and watering!

Soaking onions works better than other common tricks because:

• It neutralizes the actual root cause of what makes you cry, instead of trying to counteract it later
• It’s simple and doesn’t require any special tools or uncomfortable chewing while you chop

Follow these easy steps for tear-free onion cutting every time:

Step-By-Step Guide to Soaking Onions Before Chopping

1. Peel the Dry Outer Skin
   Remove any loose, papery outer layers on the onion surface. This allows better water penetration.
2. Slice Off The Root End
   Chop about 1⁄4 inch off the end opposite the stem. Cutting into the root releases more irritants.
3. Submerge in a Bowl of Water
   Place your peeled, trimmed onion completely under cold water for 5-10 minutes before chopping.
4. Chop Away…No Tears!
   Retrieve your onion and start chopping! Enjoy a comfortable, tear-free experience.

Soaking onions requires so little effort but makes all the difference. Once you try this hack, you’ll never suffer watery eyes while chopping onions again!

Expert Tips For Best Results

To get maximum benefits from water-soaking your onions:

• Use cold water rather than hot to prevent absorption of sulfur compounds
• Allow at least 5 full minutes of soak time so enzymes deactivate thoroughly
• Keep the onion fully immersed in water at all times
• Try adding a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to amplification the effects

With these pro tips, you’ll be a pro onion chopper with zero irritation or pain in your eyes.

Mistakes To Avoid

While the water soak trick is highly effective, there are a couple mistakes that could sabotage your efforts:

✘ Not Soaking Long Enough
Onions need sufficient time submerged to prevent enzyme activity. Don’t cut short the soak.

✘ Using Hot Water
Heat causes more irritants to release, worsening crying. Always use cold water.

✘ Chopping Into Stem End
The highest concentration of sulfur compounds exist in the stem, so avoid cutting this part first.

Still Crying? Try These Extra Hacks

For the rare extra-potent onion that still causes some stinging despite water soaking, there are a couple additional hacks to try:

• Refrigerate – Chill onions in the fridge before cutting to dramatically slow down the chemical reactions.
• Cut the Root End Last – Leave the pungent root area intact until the end to avoid releasing as many irritants.
• Use a Fan – Blow onion fumes away from your face as you chop so less reaches your eyes.

Now you’re fully prepared with various methods to remain tear-free the next time a recipe calls for chopped onions. No more pain or soggy eyes holding you back in the kitchen!

Summary: Why Soaking Onions Prevents Crying While Chopping

Water-soaking onions prior to cutting deactivates the enzymatic reactions that produce eye-irritating sulfuric acids. By stopping this process from the start, few compounds get released to bother your eyes in the first place.

It’s quick, easy, and much more reliable than other ineffective old wives tales.

Hopefully now you feel confident chopping onions without tears getting in your way. Try the simple water soak trick for comfortable, painless onion cutting every time!