The Clever Onion Cutting Trick That Will Keep You From Crying
Unless you have somehow hardened yourself to the point that not even onions can make you cry, chances are you shed a few tears when chopping the pungent produce. According to Healthline, onions cause people to cry because of the gas they release due to the enzymes they have inside their layers. When the gas comes into contact with your eyes and agitates them, your body naturally begins to produce tears in an attempt to flush out the irritant.
Even if you are tired of shedding tears while cutting up onions during prep work for your recipes at home, there is hope for minimizing the effect. Though some people switch or substitute shallots in because they are milder than onions, there is actually an easy trick that will ensure you never have to cry again. But in order for this kitchen hack to work, you will need to give the onions about half an hour to be ready for clear-eyed chopping.
Refrigerate the onions before cutting them
According to BuzzFeed, placing onions in the fridge for just half an hour prior to the time you need to cut them will keep your tears at bay. Cooling the onions for a short period of time will help prevent the enzymes and sulfur inside the onions from being released at the rate they would at room temperature. While you might still find your eyes watering, chances are chopping onions that have been refrigerated won't be quite so terrible. But remember, placing them in the fridge is only a short-term method. Don't default to storing your onions in the fridge.
The reason you shouldn't keep onions in the fridge for long periods of time or for general storage is because of the effect the cold temperature has on the texture of the onion. As the Pioneer Woman explains, onions become a soggy mess when refrigerated, which isn't what anyone wants from a crisp, crunchy onion. So remember to store them somewhere cool but dry with good airflow until it's time to prep the onions for chopping and cooking.