I'm really lucky that onions don't bother me at all. My poor SIL has tears streaming down her face the whole time she chops an onion. I always offer to do it for her if we are cooking together.
I remember reading that it has something to do with whether you're cutting with or against the grain. One (I don't remember which) breaks open the sulfur pods. Something like that.
Turn your vent on over your stove. It is the smell that makes you cry.
Open a window or something else that causes a breeze to pull the smell from you.
Cutting from the root end is supposed to work.
I have a small food processor. I love it. It will hold a whole onion and all I have to do is cut it into pieces small enough to go in it.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I had contacts in. Holy mother of all that is purple!!! That was a bitch! I couldnt keep my eyes open long enough to get the contacts out. I'm trembling just thinking about it.
I have a version of that. Probably an older model.
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A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.
I would be afraid that would ruin chocolate for me if I came to associate the two. I love chocolate. And, I also like onions but don't want to think about them together!
Have you ever got an eyelash in your eye with contacts in? I'm sure the jalapeno is worse but the eyelash burns too.
Mother of pearl! That is something when you get a hair under the contacts. My fluffy cat has these super fine almost invisible white hairs that float on the air. Every once In a while I'll get one In my eye.
Oh, the misery and confusion! You can't see the dang things to remove them!
Have you ever got an eyelash in your eye with contacts in? I'm sure the jalapeno is worse but the eyelash burns too.
Mother of pearl! That is something when you get a hair under the contacts. My fluffy cat has these super fine almost invisible white hairs that float on the air. Every once In a while I'll get one In my eye.
Oh, the misery and confusion! You can't see the dang things to remove them!
I think I remember a Geek (was it Momala?) who had this so down to a science that she even chopped tons of them for her neighbors at Thanksgiving time. Can anyone remember her secret?
I think she placed a fan blowing on high right there at her work area to blow over the chopped onions and blow away the fumes that contain that eye-burning oil.
I keep my onions in the fridge and have found that they don't make me cry. When I leave them out, I cry. If I am making something and it requires and onion and I have to run to the store to buy one, I put it in the fridge for about 20 mins before I cut it.
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Out of all the lies I have told, "just kidding" is my favorite !
I took a cooking class last month and the chef said to refrigerate them before you cut them. This cuts back on the crying. I see Mellow Momma already knew that.
There is an outer layer which, if removed, increases the tear irritant. The trick is learning how far down you can peel it before removing that layer. Cut the non-root end off. Cut the onion lengthwise in half, keeping the roots attached. It helps hold the onion together while you cut. Place the half cut side down on the cutting board. Start to slice towards the root, stopping short of the root. Make slices 1/2 inch thick, then chop the slices up, stopping short of root and then discard the root. Do as quickly as possible.
