slo’s TUESDAY 7/18 - Chopping Onions

[slo]

Cutting onions for some people can be a very burning experience, which leads me to ask…..

When YOU cut onions, do you have tears? Does it make you cry?



For Me…..Very rarely and I cook with onions a lot.
At one time, my eyes were sensitive with onions, but that stopped - I have no idea why.
My mom is a wreck when she cuts onions - her eyes cry and cry - I’ve never seen anyone else as bad as her.

 

[Kitty 34]

My DH does all the chopping as he loves onions. I don't think it bothers him.

 

[Disneylover99]

Many, many years ago when I was young I teared up a bit.
But not at all now, and we eat a lot of onions so I’m chopping them everyday.
I guess I’m immune now.

 

[Wood Nymph]

This is a hard one to guess. I don't always get teary eyes when chopping onions. But when I do it is more of an irritation than actual tears.

 

[Skywalker3]

I wear contact lenses, and cutting onions do not affect me at all while I'm wearing them. If I'm just in the glasses tho......tears from the get go.
In my 20s, when I cooked stuff like gumbo, jambalaya, and the like almost daily, I pretty much cut at least 2 onions/day. Now, not nearly as much, since DH is now the primary chef. But i"m still the designated onion cutter when needed, if I'm wearing contacts.
The trick about keeping a cracker in your mouth works ok, but not for completely tear free.

 

[kanerf]

I have issues eating onions so I do not use them.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I'd say yes, very rarely. Mainly because I don't cut onions at all now. Never did very much, Marie has always been, and is, the onion cutter. I have cut a few times in the past and did get some tears. Marie gets tears msybe 50% of the time. Not sure why, yes or no.

 

[Meriweather]

Very rarely. We use a lot of onions. Some seem stronger than others

 

[AppleDumpling]

I wouldn’t say cry, but occasionally I do get slightly watery eyes. It depends on the variety of onions. The sweeter ones, which I generally prefer (for example, Vidalia), are less irritating. It helps to use a very sharp knife that cuts through cleanly.

 

[Micca]

Very rarely. Years ago I heard a tip on a cooking show that you should chop near the kitchen sink and run cold water while chopping. I do that occasionally, and I think it works.

 

[ronandannette]

Yes, all the time. I didn’t realize it was something one could “outgrow” but I sure wish I would. I may actually be going in the opposite direction. I teared up last night chopping a large bunch of green onions and I don’t remember that ever happening before.

 

[Schneewittchen37]

I chop onions several times a week. Tears are pretty rare for me. I usually remember to run the knife under cold water first and I use a super sharp tomato knife for cutting most of my veggies anyway.

 

[darnheather]

I have heavy to moderate tears except with very mild onions. If I am doing more than one onion I always use my food processor.

 

[mamamary]

I said 100% of the time but it’s probably closer to. 90%. It’s so annoying. Sometimes the burning pain is quite painful.

 

[LoveSpringsteen]

I cry every time when cutting onions. Wearing contacts or not, I cry and my eyes sting so much that I have a hard time keeping my eyes open. If my husband is around, he’ll chop instead. I’ve tried some tricks to avoid it (microwaving the onion for a short time, laying a wet paper towel on the counter next to my cutting board) and the microwaving does help a little. I’m considering getting one of those onion chopper gizmos so at least the onion is contained.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I voted no. I can't say for sure it never happened to me, but I don't remember the last time happened, and I use onions a lot. I also wear contacts, so maybe that's why?

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I can’t recall it ever happening to me. I don’t use them a lot but I do make onion jam and you chop up a lot of onions for that they’re big, strong red onions.
DD when she was a chef chopped onions constantly, and she never teared up either she does not wear contacts, so I don’t know why it impacts some people and not others or does it sometimes and not others

 

[lovesmurfs]

If you hold a wooden match stick in your mouth while cutting onions, it stops the tears.

 

[monsterkitty]

I can't eat onions so I never cut them.

I used to love onions, but about 15 years ago I developed an intolerance to them. They make me so ill when eat them, I can't even stand the smell of onions anymore.

 

[NannyBeBe]

Chopping onions never makes me cry because I use an amazing manual food chopper that I bought at our county fair many years ago. I highly recommend it. The brand that I have is no longer available, but OXO makes one.