I fancy myself quite the tough guy, not quite Clint Eastwood or Steve McQueen, but no one has ever beaten me in a fight over a hundred metres. But being a well-balanced chap I have been known to shed a tear during certain beer ads and to have sobbed when I realised the President of our country has a hard time pronouncing any number over a 100.
There is one thing though that makes me cry without fail – cutting onions. So here are some tips that MIGHT prevent you from stumbling around the kitchen with blurry eyes, uttering colourful language.
But first. Why do we cry when we cut onions? According to wikiHow, “They’re made up of a tunic of outer leaves (the brown layer), scales (the white firm juicy edible part), and the basal plate (often called the hairy part or the root). When you cut the basal plate or shoot, they release an enzyme. That enzyme reacts in the rest of the onion to release a gas. When that gas combines with water, it creates an acid. If that water is in your eye, you have acid in your eye.”
Here are 10 steps you can take to prevent the tears from flowing:
1. Use a very sharp knife when cutting onions.
2. Chill the onions in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting them.
3. Cut the onion under water.
4. Cut the onion near hot, running water or a cloud of steam.
5. Breathe through your mouth and stick out your tongue.
6. Soak the onion in water.
7. Point your knife away from the tubes.
8. Whistle while you work.
9. Stick a piece of bread in your mouth.
10. Wear gas-tight goggles or a mask.
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