Example of proper onion cutting technique (placeholder image)

Have you ever wondered why cutting onions makes you cry? It’s all about chemistry! When you slice into an onion, you rupture its cells, releasing enzymes that react with sulfenic acids to produce syn-propanethial-S-oxide, a volatile compound that wafts up and irritates your eyes.

Tips to Prevent Tears

Here are some proven methods to minimize the waterworks:

1. Chill Your Onions

Store onions in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before cutting. Cold temperatures slow down the enzymatic reaction.

Chilling onions before cutting reduces tear-inducing vapors

2. Use a Sharp Knife

A sharp blade crushes fewer cells, releasing less of the irritating compound.

Sharp vs dull knife - notice the cleaner cut on the right

3. Cut Near Ventilation

Position yourself near an open window or exhaust fan to blow the vapors away.

Proper ventilation helps disperse onion vapors

4. Breathe Through Your Mouth

This reduces the amount of irritant reaching your tear ducts through your nasal passages.

5. Leave the Root Intact

The root end contains the highest concentration of sulfur compounds, so cut it last.

Keep the root end intact while cutting to minimize irritation

The Best Method

In my experience, combining a sharp knife with chilled onions works best. The reduction in tears is dramatic, and you can focus on getting perfect, even cuts instead of wiping your eyes every few seconds.

The end result: perfectly diced onions with minimal tears

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