Why Do You Cry When Cutting Onions?
Posted by Maria_M27 on February 05 2010 05:37:57

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I absolutely love onions with my food. But I could do without the crying that follows when peeling, dicing or grating them. As it turns out, you need to cry when handling onions. Here’s why:

1) Cutting an onion in any way releases enzymes.
2) These enzymes produce propanethial sulfoxide.
3) When the gas reaches your eyes, it creates a mild sulfuric acid.
4) Your brain sends a signal to tear glands to make more liquid and flush it out because IT HURTS!
5) The longer you handle an onion, the more you cry.


The good news is you can minimize the above chemical reaction: cool the onion in the freezer before you use it. This will slow the release of those enzymes. Also, be sure to cut the bottom part last since this is where most of the enzymes are found.

What are some other ways to keep from crying when cooking with onions?