{"id":2106084,"date":"2025-01-22T12:29:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-22T18:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=2106084"},"modified":"2025-04-30T11:02:24","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T16:02:24","slug":"why-do-onions-make-you-cry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/why-do-onions-make-you-cry\/","title":{"rendered":"This Is Why Onions Make You Cry"},"content":{"rendered":"First, my eyes sting, then they flood. Soon, I'm sniffing. I'm not watching a tearjerker or listening to Celine Dion, I'm slicing onions. No matter what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/types-of-onions\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">kind of onion<\/a> it is, tears invariably roll down my cheeks. That's a shame because I can't think of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/collection\/onion-recipes\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">savory recipe<\/a> that <em>doesn't<\/em> taste better with onions.\r\n\r\nWhy do onions make you cry? A little research turned up the simple reason, plus some simple tricks to reduce the sting.\r\n<h2>Why do onions make you cry?<\/h2>\r\nAs you slice into an onion, it releases a stinky, stinging chemical compound. Your knife blade breaks open all the tiny cells in the onion, causing enzymes to combine with sulfur-containing amino acids, creating a potent gas that rises up from the onion and straight into your face. When it hits your eyes, it instantly irritates them, and they tear up.\r\n\r\nTechnically, the tears are a good thing. They're designed to flush away the irritant, protecting your precious peepers. To avoid crying when chopping onions, don't try <em>not<\/em> to cry. Instead, try to reduce that nasty chemical release.\r\n<h2>How do you chop an onion without crying?<\/h2>\r\nCooks swear by many <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-cut-onions-without-crying-our-test-kitchen-tries-6-crazy-methods\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tricks to prevent tears when chopping onions<\/a>, including things like chewing gum or biting a spoon while slicing. In general, the simpler the trick, the more likely it is to work.\r\n<h3><strong>Start cold<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nFor a simple fix, keep your onions in the refrigerator. The cold slows down the chemical reaction from slicing, reducing the release of the stinging gas.\r\n<h3>Vent it out<\/h3>\r\nWork under an exhaust fan. Set your cutting board directly on a cool stovetop. Turn on the fan and start chopping. The fan will draw chemical compounds up and away, vastly reducing tears and sting.\r\n<h3>Wear goggles<\/h3>\r\nBattling a serious aversion to chopping onions? Wear goggles. A simple pair of goggles will literally shield your eyes from the sting. While swimming goggles work, you can also pick up a pair of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B002JXICSI?th=1\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sporty kitchen goggles<\/a>. If you wear glasses while chopping, as our favorite cook, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-cut-an-onion-stanley-tucci\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stanley Tucci<\/a>, does, that can reduce the sting, too.\r\n<h3>Use proper knife skills<\/h3>\r\nLast but not least, following the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/how-to-cut-onions-without-crying-our-test-kitchen-tries-6-crazy-methods\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">proper method to cut onions<\/a> will ensure that you're making the fewest cuts, resulting in fewer tears. Always work with a sharp knife, which makes for cleaner cuts.\r\n\r\n[cf]skyword_tracking_tag[\/cf]","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s the science behind the waterworks\u2014and some easy ways to reduce tears.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7022,"featured_media":2111593,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"tags":[303719,303745],"categories-v2":[308324,308369],"coauthors":[152278],"acf":{"ncv_override_generic_settings_option":false,"ncv_autoplay_option":"","ncv_stickyplay_option":"","ncv_ads_option":"","ncv_mute_option":"","ncv_comscore_option":"","ncv_autoplay_mobile_option":"","ncv_viewable_threshold_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_option":"","ncv_autopause_option":"","ncv_sticky_offset_mobile_option":"","ncv_autopause_mobile_option":"","ncv_sticky_mobile_option":"","ncv_remove_player_option":false,"ncv_moat_option":"","long_pin_file":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v23.3 (Yoast SEO v23.3) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why Do Onions Make You Cry?<\/title>\n\n\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/why-do-onions-make-you-cry\/\" \/>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Why Do Onions Make You Cry?","description":"Slicing onions can seriously sting. 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