Introduction
Onions are one of the most consumed vegetables in the world. They appear in countless dishes, be it a soup, sauté, or as a side dish to a main course. But every chef worth their salt has at least once complained about the tearful onion chopping phase. Slicing onions is a tearful job with red, teary eyes and a runny nose. So, why do people shed tears when they slice or dice onions? Do onions come with a curse of making people cry? No, onions make people cry due to a chemical reaction that produces a lachrymatory agent, meaning it irritates the eyes and triggers tears when it comes into contact with the eyes.
Why do onions make us cry?
Onions are bulbs that grow underground, and they share this habitat with many other creatures such as voles, which love to nibble on roots and bulbs. So, they have evolved these defensive mechanisms to protect themselves.
The chemical reaction that makes people cry happens when you slice into its layered skin; the cells burst. Its cell layers have enzymes and sulfenic acid, which combine to produce Propanethial S-oxide, an irritating gas. Your eyes have their own defence when they come into contact with it. When the nerves in each eye are touched by a lachrymatory agent, they become irritated and let loose tears to flush it out.
Some people are more sensitive to this than others. More sensitive people’s reactions can be much more severe and can include hives, itching, runny nose and tingling.
Does the type of onions matter?
Which kind of onion we use also matters; onions with strong sulfuric compounds, such as yellow, white, and red onions, are more pungent and stronger in taste. Sweeter onions like green onions are milder in taste and less pungent and bring fewer tears in most people compared to their more pungent cousins. There also exist genetically modified onions called Sunion that are of tear-free varieties. These are not in mass production yet, but can be found in speciality markets.
Remedies for an onion sting.
Onions, as much as they sting and make you tear up, are merely annoying and can’t really hurt or be dangerous to your eyes or your health. There are a few remedies if it gets really uncomfortable.
You have to be fast to clean your eyes with clean and, if available, cool water to avoid redness and reduce discomfort.
Put some distance between you and onions, a barrier of some sort. Put them in a container or just move away from chopped onions.
Use cool cucumbers or a cool compress over the eyes to help reduce irritation.
You can use lubricating eye drops to flush out the irritant.
Use other sore eye remedies, such as a cotton ball soaked in sterile water.
How to prevent crying from cutting onions?
How to prevent yourself from crying while cutting onions. Keep in mind that the freshness of the onions also matters. Fresh onions are less likely to make you cry than long-stored onions.
Put some protection between you and the onions, such as goggles, to protect from the vapour or just put some distance.
Many chefs recommend using a sharper knife to slice onions; that way, you can cut more cleanly through cells so they don’t burst and release more vapours.
Avoid cutting root ends, as they contain the most concentrated amount of sulfuric compound that makes you cry.
Using water
To reduce or eliminate onion tears, you may have to end the sulfuric compound itself. Submerging the onions in a bowl of cold water for 30 minutes also helps reduce onion vapours, so fewer or no tears for you.
Some people also contributed by saying that chopping onions while submerged in cold water helps, but be aware that they might sizzle wildly if you throw them in hot oil wet.
Better alternatives for Onions.
The distinctive taste and crunch of fresh onions can be hard to replicate. But if the onions make you really uncomfortable, to the point that you can’t stand them or have disruptive eye symptoms, you might need to consider alternatives.
In markets, you can find precut onions, which are available both frozen and fresh.
Using dried onions and onion powder is also good rather than cutting raw onions.
Options for another allium that doesn’t cause crying, such as garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives.
Replace the crunch of onions with radishes or celery in salads.
Cook with fennel, which provides a velvety, liquorice taste instead of caramelising onions.
Key takeaways
Preparing onions is a tearful job, but next time you have to fight off tears, be prepared. Remember that the onion is not offended; it’s just a chemical reaction at play that it has developed to fight off the underground creatures that like to nibble its roots and stems. A sharp knife or a 30-minute cold-water bath is enough to reduce the sting.