Are you looking for ways to stop crying your eyes out when you have the dreaded task of chopping onions? I know I did. I used to get stuck chopping them at a Little Caesar’s restaurant all the time. So I found my own methods and have tried a few other tips I found surfing the web to share with everyone.

1) The first tip I tried was peeling the onion in cold water. This worked fairly effectively while peeling but does not prove ideal for the actual chopping process. I recommend for peeling only.

2) If you have the luxury of having a WELL ventilated kitchen or prep area, take advantage of it. The more fresh air you have cycling through, the least likely you are going to end up feeling like a crybaby. If you don’t have a huge work space like I did, put a fan in the room. This is by far the most effective tip that actually works extremely well. 

3) A tip I tried myself before scouring the Internet was peeling the onions and dunking them in a bucket of ice water for about twenty minutes before chopping them. While it didn’t completely eliminate tears, there was a significant difference in how much crying was done. 

4) I haven’t actually tried this at work but apparently keeping the onions refrigerated is supposed to alienate tears completely. I asked to experiment at work but the boss man won’t let me. Apparently keeping onions refrigerated reduces their shelf-life. 

Here are some other tips that I’ve read but haven’t actually been able to experiment:

• Wear contact lenses or air tight goggles. 
• Putting vinegar on the cutting board as you work.
• Soaking the onion in salt water.
• Chewing gum while you work. 
• Using a very sharp knife.

As far as I know, these are the very best tips for cutting onions from my own experience. From what I’ve tested and what I’ve learned, chopping in an open, ventilated space is by far the best tip for this tear-shedding task.

Image via Wikipedia

Hope you enjoyed and learned something!