If you do a search on how to cut onions without crying you will come across all manner of convoluted ridiculous solutions such as cutting it under running water, putting it in the freezer for 5 minutes, holding a spoon in your mouth, lighting a match and the most ridiculous, purchasing a pair of onion goggles (amusingly, the googles are a real product with positive reviews!).
Cooking is complex enough without adding un-needed preparation time, wasting water, or flushing your dignity down the kitchen sink (holding a spoon in your mouth, really!).
So here is the simplest, free method to cut onions without the fumes causing you to tear up:
Turn on the exhaust fan above your stove, stand close to the fan, and when you cut your onion, make sure that the onion is between you and the stove.
How simple is that! The fumes get sucked away from your face, no tears, no prep time – just cut and go – and you don’t look ridiculous doing it! Now you can safely go back to cooking your favourite onion recipes such as from The Onion Lover’s Cookbook (ha! I didn’t even know there were cooking books specifically for onions – then again, I didn’t know you could buy dedicated onion goggles either!)
20/04/2010 at 6:39 am Permalink
Even better – since your method suggests standing by the oven — just turn on a single burner to medium heat.
The flame will destroy the airborne compounds that are responsible for creating acid when they mix with your tears. It’s quieter and more effective than the exhaust fan, too!