I regularly have to chop up onions at work and after a while it becomes unbearable, my eyes stream, they burn like I’ve spent too much time in the swimming pool and my nose runs. How long would I need to cut onions for before my eyes were damaged?
• Get a loaf of french bread (or Wonder Bread, whatever) and keep it next to where you do your onions. Cut a hunk of it and put it in your mouth, just leave it there, with your tongue tucked up against the bread, while you peel and chop. No more onion-tears. Try it.
• As far as I know, onion fumes don’t damage eyeballs.
You know I know I have to ask how this works.
Tips on how to avoid typos would be welcome as well.
The remedy I had heard was to hold a spoon between your teeth while chopping.
I suspect that all anti-onion strategies are based on the principle that if you breathe through your mouth, not your nose, while chopping, you won’t get the tears.
Yes but I know that you know that I know that you know
:smack:
Sorry. To answer your question, I don’t know.
But personal experience validates the claim that it does work, so try it.
I’ve heard that the bread “soaks up” the fumes before they get to your eyes. But then again, if a spoon works too, maybe hammos1 is right.
Now for the science bit… (I’m recalling facts from years ago so I’m sure someone will correct me if I’m wrong)
I belive the chemical in onions that is released when cutting forms sulphuric acid when in contact with water. It is the sulphuric acid that stings the eyes as I belive moisture in surrounding the eye is mildly alkaline.
So, all the myths aside, as long as there is a source of moisture between your eyes and the onion, your eyes will be fine.
I personally run my wrists under water before cutting the onion - this works fine.
Breathing through your mouth instead of your nose also helps as the vapours are drawn to your mouth - further from your eyes than your nose.
Another handy hint for onions an garlic - to get the smell off your hands simply rub a spoon over your hands under running water (use the spoon as if it were a bar of soap). Sounds silly but the metal actually breaks down the fragrant molecules so they no longer smell!
Here endeth the lesson.
That should be sulfenic acid is released when cutting onions. The gasseous form of which creates sulfuric acid when reacting with moisture in the eyes.
See how stuff works .
According to Cook’s Illustrated, (sorry, no cite) the only sure-fire solution is to completely seal your eyes against the onion-gas (sulfenic acid) with a set of non-ventilated eye-protection goggles, a snorkel mask, or something similar.
Personally, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a snorkel mask without also wearing the snorkel itself. You know, to complete the look.
Unless the onions are very strong, I actually find that my soft contact lenses shield me from almost all of it, which is weird given that they’re mostly just water themselves.
You probably wouldn’t look any sillier wearing a snorkle mask in the kitchen than you would with half a loaf of bread hanging out of your mouth, drooling and breathing like Darth Vader while you rub yourself with cutlery :D.