# I can't stop crying (while chopping vegetables) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 3, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383 "2026-11-03T23:36:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/1 "2026-11-03T23:36:06Z")
My reaction to onions has escalated over the years to the point where it’s like tear gas. I have to chop onions with lab-grade goggles on. Tonight I made a potato leek soup and the leeks got to me. Obviously not as bad, but my eyes were burning before I even got to the onion and deployed the goggles. Garlic sometimes burns a little. Shallots too. Why am I so sensitive? My wife doesn’t react like this, and so far neither do my kids. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/2 "2026-11-03T23:50:54Z")
I was cutting an onion the other day and I noticed that it didn’t make me cry and pondered if I was getting less sensitive or if onions these days don’t do that. One thought is that I have super sharp knives now which is supposed to help. How sharp is your cutting knife? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2026, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/3 "2026-11-03T23:55:04Z")
Another thing that helps is cutting under water. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/4 "2026-11-04T00:00:31Z")
I don’t want to presume that OP is looking for solutions but if they are, there are numerous gadgets that could help [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=onion+dicer+machine](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=onion+dicer+machine) ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/5 "2026-11-04T00:17:27Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I don’t want to presume that OP is looking for solutions but if they are, there are numerous gadgets that could help Exactly this. I, too, am quite sensitive to the fumes of the allium family. My solution: I have a food processor, learned to use it and use it liberally. It contains all the fumes inside the work bowl and that helps a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2026, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-cant-stop-crying-while-chopping-vegetables/1034383/6 "2026-11-04T11:22:14Z")
I can’t remember the last time onions made my eyes water, probably about three to four years ago (use them 5-7 times weekly on meals), but last week one set of them virtually blinded me in with tears. So even those unaffected sometimes get hit hard. I own one of those chopping devices, I might use it more in the future if it gets worse.