Onions are considered the backbone of countless tasty dishes. All foodies love the aroma and flavor of onions but what they do not love is the tears that pour out while chopping and cutting them. Chopping onions releases chemical irritants which affect a particular gland in the eyes which makes them to tear up. Luckily there are a few magical steps that one can follow for reducing the problem and preventing them from weeping like a little baby.
Amazing tips to prevent the waterworks
• Using a sharp knife- The first and foremost step is to use a sharp knife while cutting as this cause lesser damage to the cell walls owing to release of fewer irritants.
• Chill the onions- With cold onions, there are lesser chances of propanethial S-oxide to evaporate. Although one may still get few irritants, yet this will help. One must keep this in mind to refrigerate the onions and not freeze them as frozen raw onions become mushy when these thaw.
• Position cutting board in a proper way- One should position their cutting board adjacent to the stove following which one must turn the exhaust fan on. This will help in pulling away the irritants from oneself and their eyes.
• One should keep exposed cuts of onion away from them- The moment one cuts an onion just half, they must turn both the halves down towards the cutting board. Keep the side that will not be chopped currently unpeeled. After finishing with one half, one must transfer the cut onion pieces into the preparation dish and leave it on the contrary side prior to proceeding with the remaining part of the onion.
• Apply lemon juice on the knife- One of the simplest ways to prevent tears while cutting an onion is by applying lemon juice on the knife prior to cutting. After several cuts recoat the knife again with lemon juice.
Onions are part and parcel of every kitchen and having to cut or chop it in the right way helps one to smile instead of shedding tears.
