Cut Onions Without Crying With This Crazy Trick!

The secret’s out – here’s how to cut onions without crying tears!

How to Cut an Onion without Crying

Ever wondered how to cut an onion WITHOUT those annoying tears?  So have we!

One of our readers posted this onion cutting tip and we wanted to share…..

Our PPP Team member Jamie gave it a shot and had this to say:

I was dubious about this method – but wanted to see if it had any merit.  I used a yellow onion and one of my sharpest knives and wetted a couple fast-food paper towels to place on the cutting board.  I cut the onion in half and then cut like I always do (which is vertically from the root down and then horizontally to dice).

I felt the start of the slightest tingle in my eyes – but it didn’t escalate into tears like it normally does.  It didn’t get worse at all!

I had my teenage son standing over my shoulder watching and he didn’t even have a tingle reaction.

So – aside from that slight tingle – I’d say this trick was pretty successful!

Here are some more onion-cutting tricks that supposedly work:

• Hold a toothpick between your teeth
• Don’t cut the root
• Place in the freezer first to chill
• Use a really sharp knife  (I love my Cuisinart knives – they’re extremely sharp!)
• Hold a piece of bread between your teeth
• Cut under Cold Water
• Wear Goggles
• Fan the fumes away from your face
• Chew gum while chopping

Why Do Onions Make You Cry?

The reason you cry when you cut onions is because of chemical called sulfoxides that are released when you damage the skin.  It’s a defense mechanism that’s there to deter animals from eating them – and is not-so-fun for us humans either.  But onions are amazing for building flavor so we’ll keep battling the tears anyway!

Share your tips: have you found any secret tips for cutting onions without crying?  I’d love to hear them!