# Onion cutting



## granfrad (Apr 13, 2006)

This is perhaps a glarring sign i am an amature, but i have a rather pressing question. I can not for seem to cut an onion without suffering intense pain in my eyes. to much so in fact that i can't even seem to see as my eyes are buring and watering. what do you recommend to solve this problem of cutting onions. (i don't think time is the answer, cause it has been a problem for several years)


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## chef_oz (Mar 7, 2006)

I usually hold my breath... Try going to the walk'in if it gets so bad and you can't see your knife. If you deal with them on a daliy basis you should build up a tolerance. They do make non tearing onions, though there a pretty penny! :ciao:


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## expatc (Feb 16, 2006)

Try this, cut the onion in half, put it in cold water and let it rest in the fridge for about a half hour or so. then while it is wet, slice it up. For me, the onion actually has a better flavor in the end product and the weight of the water keeps the stuff that makes your eyes hurt too heavy to fly up and ruin your day. Gravity used to your advantage.

If you then are sauteeing them or whatever, pat them dry before you cook them.

In any case, if you use Red Onion in a salad or raw anywhere, soaking the sliced onion in cold water for a while makes your salad 20% better just for doing that.


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## shahar (Dec 15, 1999)

Onions irritate your nose not your eyes. that's why you should try and breath through your mouth. In the old days some would put a matchstick between their teeth for that purpose.
Of course you should work in a highly ventilated area when you can. Outside, window open or with a fac. Slice and cut. Don't chop. Chill the onion before hand, refrigerator for example.
Also the there's a higher concentration of the tearing chemicals close to the root. Don't chop that area.
Wash the onion before hand. Use a sharp knife.


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## pete (Oct 7, 2001)

The best method, as stated is to chill your onions prior to dicing. Also using proper techinque to dice an onion will be a less tearful experience then just chopping away at it. Onions contain a chemical and an enzyme that are released and mix together when the onion is cut. The more cutting and mashing the more is released. When these two mix they form a sulfur compound that when mixes with the liquid in your tear ducts, form a mild sulfuric acid. That is what causes your eyes to water.


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## crazytatt (Mar 5, 2006)

breathe through the mouth, and have a good sharp knife. Some onions can be worse then others too. Cool onions help a little.


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## chef kaiser (Mar 12, 2006)

hi, 

often when cutting onions i observe chefs bending over the onion. therefore try to stand straight and try to cut the onion by holding it away form you. 

regards


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## n00bchef (Apr 11, 2006)

The key to cutting an onion is to have a very sharp knife... The duller the blade, the more pressure is put on the onion which *squirts* the juice into the air. A good sharp knife will avoid this.

What I typically do is first cut off the very top and bottom of the onion. (The root bottom and the top). Then, setting the onion on one of the cut sides, I cut it in half. After that, I put the newly cut halves face down and slice the rings.

I don't usually have issues getting teary eyed (except on occasion), and also, do NOT stand directly over the top of the onion.

-Jason


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## ekanshsaxena (Apr 24, 2006)

now this is the most common problem while cutting onion wht you can do is use a really sharp(i mean REALLY SHARP)knife and then cut onion there is one more thing you can do you can chew chewing gum while cutting onion i will prevent tears or else put a roundel of onion on your ear and you keep cutting


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## andrew563 (Oct 12, 2005)

I would suggest a sharp knife.


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## pastry maven (Feb 6, 2006)

Seems kinda wierd, but if you whistle while chopping onions, you're blowing the tear-inducing fumes away from your face...just another helpful hint, in addition to the excellent advice already listed...

Cheers,

Micki


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## chrose (Nov 20, 2000)

Okay I know this will sound totally ridiculous but it has worked for me on many (not all) occasions, it was told to me by a former Chef. Take a piece of very wet paper towel folded up and placed under your upper lip. I know, I know:crazy: , but what the heck try it sometime!


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## chef_oz (Mar 7, 2006)

haha, I gota try this tomorrow :ciao:


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## mikeb (Jun 29, 2004)

The sharper your knife is, the less you'll tear up. I've cut up entire sacks (25lb.) of onions without shedding a tear, a razor sharp knife and good cutting technique is key.


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## plongeur (Aug 1, 2005)

Chef tells me that one of his previous plongeurs used to wear a scuba diving mask while peeling and chopping onions. Worked well, looked weird.


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## phoebe (Jul 3, 2002)

I DID try this, just because YOU suggested it, Chrose!:crazy: Is this one of those initiation stunts for apprentices?:blush: I looked stupid and it didn't stop the tears Even my cats were staring at me. :suprise: I think I'll just go back to keeping my knife sharp and keeping the mascara off.


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

Bingo :chef:


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## chrose (Nov 20, 2000)

No really I wasn't kidding. I did say it didn't always work, and I guess I did neglect to mention that you might look kind of ridiculous . But the occasional time I tried it, it seemed to help. Ehh whattya gonna do? :beer:


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## chef_fatchicken (Feb 20, 2006)

perhaps my experience as an entrepreneurial and certified chef.. proper standing posture whilst slicing the onion will minimise any discomfort felt in the eyes.. of course as some bros here suggested, you could soak it in cold water for awhile, maybe few mins before beginning to slice it..will also minimise the tearing..


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

OK, Clean/slice/chop/etc... And get on with your work. If you take the long way of cleaning onions this forum will have 20 onion threads before you clean the first one. Kind of a useless thread. IMHO


Next thread will be.. " HOW DO YOU TIE YOUR CHEF SHOES ? " 

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## al_dente (Mar 9, 2005)

A silly thread? For sure it is, but the thought always arises while working through a 50lb bag. Old onions are the worst. 

I find it best to face the hood while cutting onions. This way the fumes are pulled away from your face. It seems that cutting them near the line with your back to the stove is more irritating. A sharp knife helps for sure as does washing the hands often in cold water.

AL


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

...or a compound thereof....when it combines with water it makes a mild sulfuric acid which is the cause of the burning. The little particulate matter that atomizes into the air when you cut or chop eventually finds its way to your mucus membranes and creates the problem. 

A way to help this problem is to freeze the onion for a short period of time. It will start to crystalize the little onion molecules that contain the culprit.

Then they can't atomize as much.

Oops...I guess I'm being too Dexter...LOL! :bounce: 

April


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## metrakay (Apr 1, 2005)

Turn on your stove's ventilation system and put a cutting board as close to it as you can on nearby counter or a cold portion of the stove etc, NOT on the ceiling , and stand UPWIND. This will pull the fumes away from you and from the house, too.

(If your system is powerful enough, you can stand downwind and the fresh air blowing past you will keep your eyes from watering.)


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## cakerookie (Sep 10, 2005)

20 minutes in the freezer. NO TEARS!

Regards Cakerookie


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## ghost (Feb 11, 2006)

It's kind of funny because I tried this once to see if it worked. The mask fogged up so quickly it was pointless. I'd rather just work with a really sharp knife and not work quickly.


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## warchef (Apr 9, 2006)

refrigeration does work.. but you introduce huge amounts of mold spores by throwing the whole sack in the walkin.. in addition onions, mush, and lemons all deteriorate your refrigeration grill WAY quick.. 

if you batch it out its one more thing to worry about.. or hear the night shift ***** about the days guys not doign for them.. blah blah blah.. 

if your dicing.. use a method where the onion falls apart the least.. 

cut the onion in half ( i leave root on) place cut side down.. make cuts going opposite of the "rings" depending on the size you want.. then go back and slice the onion along the ring bias... try and keep the onion intact.. if your slopping it up and throwing it all around your gonna release the gas.. 

same thing if your going for half moons.. keep it intact until you put it into your container.. 

if your using a slicer.. i keep my head below the \ of the slicer.. if you do this while powering thru say a 50 lb sack you will notice the onion juice flying over your shoulder and not the incredible burn..


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## lobster boy (May 9, 2006)

Al Dente is right on about the age of the onion.
If you've got a real tear maker it is probably old, from last years harvest.
I try to buy onions (carrots and potatoes too) from vendors with quick product turnover. Look on the bag to see where they are grown. If they are way out of season for that region you should think twice.
The sharp knife is important too. I once was visiting a kitchen when the prep kid pulverized a bag of onions in the Buffalo chopper. It was like someone set off a tear gas canister. He had turned them into a paste and cleared the kitchen.:lol:


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## magnolia_chef (May 12, 2006)

I as well found that useing a snorkel mask does the trick, just remember not to exhale through your nose into the mask, not even a little, i can slice a 50 bag of onions non stop like this.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

I learned 30 yrs ago there is only one sure fire ,simple way, not to tear up. Just put the onions between you and the exhaust hood. Sorry if someone already mentioned this.


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## bubbamom (Jan 30, 2002)

Cut in half from root to stem end. Peal, but leave root in tact. Dice or slice as needed.


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

Forget about the onion and focus on the next task. I do not agree with the freezer method. Ahain, Sharp knife and focus on your next project. I mean really, When was the last time you cut onions for 500 French onion soups ? Or in fact that many onions for any event ??? 



Chop Chop  

Such a petty thread. I mean really in todays cooking onions are every day. Big Deal.




Ha Ha Ha !!! YOU CAN ALWAYS BUY THEM, CUT TO SPECS ???????????????????:chef:

Then you pay me, ?????????????????


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Ma Facon,
Here in the Mexican rest. One can cut bags and bags. Plus being a part of most trinities I would think many bags are used. Has the use of the onion deminished? Are you one of the many people helping eliminate labor cost/cooks by supplying cleaned and cut produce to chefs?:smoking: 
PS. Are there really people in kitchens wearing tie up shoes?:roll:


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

:lol: :lol: :lol: Me, Simply old school brought in to new light. I don't advocate anything except from the ground up. If it be 10 bags of onions a day or 1 a week the same focus should be applied. In respect your q's. A day in the kitchen is just another ballet. :chef: 


Sometimes I just slip them on and sometimes I Don't.............. I enjoy your reference to another thread.


How was your MD ??? We did a 1000 ala carte.


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## ma facon (Dec 16, 2004)

Clogs are rank, Security is foremost. Soldiers in the field never wear slipons... Fashion belongs on the runway, And sometimes not even there...:chef: 

Even the strap on type shoes are ???????????????????? Not in my kitchen...:chef:


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## epicous (Aug 12, 2004)

Try this:


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## godfather_chef (Apr 21, 2006)

epicous,
it wouldn't work, it's got holes in it, which would, in turn, let the gasses in. i've heard that sealed, i.e. cheap, goggles work well.


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## epicous (Aug 12, 2004)

Something like this?


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## godfather_chef (Apr 21, 2006)

now you're talkin. i've actually used one like that, while we were on a boat, and it worked wonders. in case you're wondering, it was a houseboat, so i wasn't outside. but it does look quite silly


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## fishman2004 (Aug 9, 2005)

In addition to what everyone else already said, the answer is simple and controversial. Gum chewing is often not condoned in the modern day kitchen for sanitation purposes, but if you are playing prep bi*ch and need to cut a vast amount of onions, get some trident gum, the pieces are nice and small, keep it on the dl, most restaurants I have worked in would not allow for onions to soak a half an hour, there is simply too much work to be done, just chew some gum while you do the project and spit it out when you are done. Keep in mind there is a small amount of people that are super sensitive to the effects of onion schmoo, I myself am one, you sound like one, chew some fricken gum.


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## greasechef (May 20, 2006)

I'd have to start by saying that I could probably squirt onion juice in my eyes without much irritation, so I am not the best person to help you out here. I was once told that burning a candle on your cutting board kills the fumes that make you tear up. This tid-bit of info came from my last dishwasher, an older guy with a lot of stories and a total of two teeth in his head.


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## diane (Mar 24, 2006)

Thats a bit like the one about stricking a match in the bathroom instead of using air freshener. I can see how it could work. I cut mine the way WarChef describes, and don't have trouble.


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

I know this is an old thread, but still no doubt a big problem. I couldn't resist answering with some advice my mum gave me and she still swears by it after 70 years of cooking.

She swears you avoid the tears by eating a piece of sour dough rye bread while slicing onions- just an excuse to eat rye bread I reckon - but the wierd thing is - it works for her. Go figure!


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## lisacutri (Dec 23, 2006)

i was once told if you stand in a bucket of cold water whilst chopping your eyes won't water! Hmmmm i think that may of been one of those nasty apprentice stories! but i guess it might take your mind off it for a while!:talk:


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## dc sunshine (Feb 26, 2007)

hehehe it would take your mind off it I reckon. Can't say any of those goggles would be a good fashion statement. I used to go stick my head in a freezer when it got too bad (better than sticking your head in an oven....)


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## cheflusch (Mar 3, 2006)

Yup...that's what I want. 4 ovens on, 12 burners, double grill, sweat falling down the crack of my *ss like Niagara.......Let's put some some scuba gear so that we don't shed a tear

Actually learned this as a kid in an Italian restaurant. Find a tasty piece of bread and hold in your mouth. All the onioniness soaks in. Cut a couple onions, eat a little bread. No tears and a full stomach.

Enjoy!


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## bluedogz (Oct 11, 2006)

I thought this was the PROFESSIONAL chef's section! :lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## kuan (Jun 11, 2001)

You forgot drink a little wine.


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## brooklynchef (Nov 26, 2007)

I agree... A sharp knife and a refrigerated onion are best. When I used to be the prep cook way back when in a restaurant in the city I was prepping the entremtier station, and needed to slice very thinly a 50lb. bag of onion per week. I would take plastic wrap, wrap it around my face with only my mouth exposed for breathing. Yeah it blinds you a little bit, but if you have good knife skills, you can cut with your eyes closed. 
PS if you try this, make sure nobody is around to see you, because you will look positively insane!


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## risque cakes (Apr 20, 2007)

I find this is the only thing that works for me...keeping my onions in the fridge, peel the skin off and let them soak in some cold water while I prep and cook.

I use onions in almost everything I cook and have a real sensitive mucus membrane and sense of smell...so before I used this method, I was a disaster cutting my onions, just like you!


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## link138 (Nov 23, 2007)

Amazon.com: Onion Goggles - White Frames - (White): Home & Garden

Try those.......what a waste


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## chefchad (Nov 20, 2007)

Get someone else to do it (if you are the boss)


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