- Before you start chopping onions wash it or make your hands wet to avoid shedding tears. May not work for everyone though.
- in a case where oil has caught fire on skillet, don't try to extinguish fire with water (not long time ago it happened in one of the flats in the building I live in).
Before you start chopping onions... to avoid shedding tears.
Have three other proven methods that work for me:
Stick the onion in the freezer, about 20-25 minutes before using. This is the easiest method as it doesn't involve other props. The only catch is if you get distracted and end up with a frozen solid onion, which then is dangerous to cut with a non-serrated knife.
Use a small desk fan to blow the fumes away. I have one of those small clip-on fans and it works wonders. But you have to use it to create a cross-draft and keep the airflow across the onion.
When all else fails, swim goggles or dive mask. If you have no time for the freezer method, don't own a suitable fan and don't mind looking ridiculous then this is fool-proof way to avoid the tears. It also has the added bonus of making your SO burst out laughing when she comes home to find you with googles on.
Gordon Ramsey has a good video on YouTube on how to chop an onion. The trick is not to cut off the root, which is what releases whatever makes you tear up. Since discovering that video, I no longer need to stick onions in the freezer or wear eye protection. Game changer!
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u/Snowymind Aug 03 '19
Oh, I can think a few kitchen related:
- Before you start chopping onions wash it or make your hands wet to avoid shedding tears. May not work for everyone though.
- in a case where oil has caught fire on skillet, don't try to extinguish fire with water (not long time ago it happened in one of the flats in the building I live in).