How do you chop an onion? The answer seems simple and universal, but there are many methods to do it. These all have a common aim — to avoid the tears that pour forth during the dicing. When you chop an onion enzymes mix and emit a sulphur compound gas which, when in contact with water of your eyes, forms sulfuric acid. Here are a few proven ways to chop an onion without tears.
Goggles: The vapours cannot get to your eyes. So no crying! However, they do look a bit awkward in the kitchen. You can buy special onion goggles for this very procedure, but at $20 they are a bit pricey.
Light a candle: During a test, this method seemed to work, perhaps meaning the candle burned off some of the irritants released by the onion.
Freeze the onion: This method works completely, with the caveat that if the onion is much harder, your fingers will probably go numb with cold, and you may have difficulties with subsequent cooking if you do not wait for it to unfreeze. It also requires the time taken to freeze the vegetable.
Cut the root last: The benefit is that this method requires the least preparation and expense, but the downturn is that it’s quite a difficult method to execute. Make sure you have a sharp knife and even sharper skills, otherwise you could do yourself more damage than the tears you’re trying to avoid.
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