Chapter 1: The Onion Conundrum

A reader posed an intriguing question: What makes certain onions so potent that they induce tears? "I once resorted to wearing a swimming mask while making onion soup. I'm serious!"

Let me empathize with you; I completely understand the struggle! My family seems to handle onions without much issue (though they rarely cook). In contrast, I find myself in tears whenever I chop them. Initially, I thought my height was to blame, as I'm quite short and closer to the offending alliums.

To get to the bottom of this, I did some investigating. A quick search for “ways to cut onions without crying” yields an overwhelming number of results—(as Carl Sagan might say) billions and billions. But fear not; I’ve sifted through the information for you.

Here's what I discovered: The tears I experience have nothing to do with my stature. When you slice or crush an onion, it ruptures its cell walls, allowing two compounds (sulfenic acid and allinase) to combine. This reaction produces a gas that irritates our eyes, prompting them to produce tears for protection.

Interestingly, white, red, and yellow onions tend to have higher concentrations of these tear-inducing compounds. Conversely, some onions, like the Vidalia, which grow in low-sulfur soils, have less sulfenic acid and offer a milder, sweeter flavor with fewer irritants.

So, how can we reduce tears and keep our makeup intact? Here are some tips I found, along with my take on their effectiveness:

• Soaking after peeling but before chopping: This can help, although it may also wash away some flavor.
• Freezing for 30 minutes: Similar to soaking, this reduces tears but might slightly dull the taste.
• Chopping onions underwater: This suggestion, seemingly generated by AI, might not be the most practical—akin to suggesting you use glue to keep cheese on your pizza.
• Using a sharp knife: This one holds true. A sharper knife minimizes the crushing of onion cells.

Interestingly, the Japanese have developed a tear-free onion, but it lacks much flavor.

By the way, an unnamed online retailer offers “tear-free onion goggles.” They’re stylish and come in under $10!

Chapter 2: Meet Your Editor

Linda has a deep fascination with food’s significance, history, and cultural narratives, rooted in her childhood experiences in her mother’s kitchen. “Watching my mother cook, I realized that every measurement and action was almost instinctive; no cookbooks were consulted.”

“Our meals, though simple, were nourishing and comforting—transmitted through generations. The dishes she prepared were a reflection of her childhood and the culinary traditions before her.”

While Linda isn’t a formally trained chef, she generously shares her extensive kitchen knowledge, honed through years of experience and experimentation. A self-proclaimed history enthusiast, she loves exploring the stories behind various foods, ingredients, and cooking methods.

In 2022, she published “How Corned Beef Became Irish.”

If you enjoyed this piece and want to keep up with Linda’s upcoming writings, consider subscribing to her email list for notifications on new stories.

Copyright © 2024 Linda Lum (Facebook, Hub Pages, Pinterest). Linda is a retired federal budget analyst, a devoted wife and mother, an author, and a passionate advocate for food history.

Discover why onions make you cry and how to prevent it in this informative video.

Learn more about the science behind onion-induced tears in this helpful video.