There's some pretty neat science happening when you chop onions.
Understanding that science is the first step in preventing the tears.
And who doesn't want to cry less?
Here's the real reason onions make you cry.
Can you imagine having to cook without onions?
For all the tears and all the burning eyes, they elevate so many dishes to the next level.
So in order to understand what it is that makes you have such a reaction to them while
you're cutting them, let's get scientific.
When onions grow, one of the things they absorb from the soil is sulphur.
Onions then turn raw sulphur into an amino acid called sulfoxide.
When you cut an onion, it releases this sulfoxide, creating a gas.
Receptors in your eyes then recognize the presence of an unfamiliar gas, and communicate
with your brain to start the tears flowing in order to help protect your eyes from this
compound.
"Well…"
“Where are you going?"
“Not here!!"
The gas is only released when you're cutting onions, though, as the process of cooking
them gets rid of all the gas, and causes the gas-forming molecules to become inert.
And that's when the real magic happens, as those same enzymes are partially responsible
for giving onions their flavor.
No one enjoys having their eyes attacked by vegetable gas.
And there are a lot of crackpot methods that claim they will help you avoid crying when
chopping onions.
But to find a method that actually works, we'll need to once again turn to real science.
Just like the heat of cooking keeps onions from releasing the gas that makes you cry,
cold stops the gas-forming enzymes in onions as well.
So putting your onions in the refrigerator or in the freezer before you're getting ready
to cut and cook with them is one way to make dinner prep a lot less painful.
You've likely heard that cutting onions underwater keeps the tears from coming, and it's based
on the same principle of interrupting the gas flow.
“As soon as you run it under the cold water, you won't cry anymore.
It stops all the tears!"
“No more tears?!"
“No more tears!”
That might be a bit dangerous to work out logistically, though, so you're probably better
off with another option.
For instance, The National Onion Association recommends leaving the root end of the onion
un-cut, as that's the part that has the greatest concentration of gas-releasing enzymes.
And hey, if you're still having problems, you can always grab some goggles and cover
up.
The thing about onions is that even after you've chopped them and thrown them into whatever
recipe you're making, you can probably still smell them.
The gas lingers, and no matter how well you wash them or what kind of soap you use, that
oniony scent just stays.
There are a couple things that you can try.
Baking soda's odor-neutralizing properties are well-known, and it can help you wash that
onion smell off your hands, too.
Alternately, The National Onion Association recommends washing your hands with lemon juice
to neutralize the pungent smell.
And as for the rumor that rubbing your hands on stainless steel starts a chemical reaction
that causes the gas-and-odor causing molecules to bond to the metal surface instead of your
skin?
Well, a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh tested this for NPR and didn't notice any
effect.
So go ahead and try it, just be aware that your hands may still stink - and you'll just
also look really silly rubbing a frying pan all over yourself.
The same chemicals that cause you to tear up when you're cutting onions is what makes
them such a valuable addition to your kitchens and your recipes.
So getting rid of the tears may get rid of the flavor.
That devil's bargain led to the development of the no-tear onion, the development of which
was supported by the British grocery chain Asda.
According to the company, the “Asda sweet red” onion was developed over the course
of 20 years, with farmer Alastair Findlay selectively crossing hundreds and hundreds
of onions to breed a new strain specifically for its lack of tear-inducing enzymes.
The result is less pungent and more sweet than other types of red onions, and the British
farmer who created the strain also says that they don't leave that distinctive aftertaste
that so many onions can.
So is it worth it?
Well, you can always try them for yourself to find out.
Just remember, though: if they're not tasty enough, don't come crying to us.
“Hey!!"
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