Does anyone have any tips for cutting onions? My eyes seem to be really sensitive to the fumes and my eyes water like there's no tomorrow. How do you keep your eyes from watering so much?

And my hands still reek of garlic from the night I made a soup. .-.

Let me just say, I read what you said there as, "my hands still reek of garlic from making soap" and was like



I hold my breath when I'm chopping onions >< It's breathing the fumes that makes you cry/hurts your eyes, with the vapour going up your nose and into your sinuses and eyes that way. So my onion chopping technique is to take a deep breath, chop until I need to breath then go to the other side of the room. A couple of deep breaths then back to chopping...

It works very well, I've chopped up to 3 large onions in one go with no problems, and I really suffer with onions.

I've never had problems with onions, I even chopped onions at the beginning of the month for homemade taco night. But maybe its because we usually use sweet onions at my house? xD Or that I wear glasses *shrugs* I would suggest wearing glasses or goggles, or chop fast but careful. And for garlic smell when doing garlic, wear gloves?

Apparently it helps if you chew gum, whistle or have a candle next to you while you work. I have yet to try these though, the last time I tried it affected me so bad i couldn't open my eyes and they still had a subtle pain/that feeling the next day. This happened at home but strangely it never affected me when I was working in the ventilated hospitality kitchen at school.

Ugh I ate getting garlic on my hands, we have a garlic crusher so there's little touching but when I did hospo at school we were always using crushed garlic and then having to use computers for the next lesson so my laptop ended up smelling like garlic for at least a week.

jellysundae: Okay, I'll have to try that, it sounds like it makes sense. Thank you. :)
GwenaHikari: I've tried wearing glasses when I do it, it doesn't seem to help me too much, lol. :3
Emo Teddy: I'll try the gum thing and let you know. ^-^

I don't think goggles etc. are going to work, simply because it is the vapour going up your nose that causes the problem.

Wearing one of those paper masks would probably be more effective. Or tie a bandana over the lower half of your face, and go all gangster on those onions!!

Note to self: Gangster mode activate every time cutting onions.


Thanks. ^-^

Here's what TLC has to say, complete with suggestions: TLC Cooking "Onion's Tear Jerker"


My Mother suggested last night, rinsing the onions (before you cut them I think), and keeping them away from your face.

I rinse the onions before I chop onions, I also heard that if you leave one of the ends, intact it prevents the onion tears effect, because the juices are not released as much...I don't know which end though though I'm thinking may be the top end. And I tend to cut both ends off before I chop them myself.

Chop them in a large bowl with enough water to completely cover the onion. It works :D

I just found having enough fresh air, like opening a window or outside door helps but I don't really suffer from onions too badly.

I've seen that steel soap stuff advertised for getting rid of odours like garlic but I don't know if it actually works.

I heard that sticking the onion in the freezer fifteen minutes before you cut it helps. An article I read said that it really works. Try that!
For the garlic smell, either learn to love it, or wear gloves next time. xD
Um, I just read that you wash your hands right after you cut the garlic, rub a stainless steel object [like a fork or something], then wash your hands again. That should work. I should try that, lol.
Another article said to rub the object on your hand whilst under running water.

You know, I just buy frozen ready chopped onions, and save myself all this hassle

That works too. xDD

I've tried the chewing gum thing and it definitely works (mint has the best results for me) but I did that in conjunction with the large bowl of water to dunk them in right after chopping.

You should also check how fresh that onion is. The chemicals which get released when you chop into them are either harsh or mellow depending on how long it's been out of the ground (unfortunately I can't remember exactly which order it is! )

I always get the sweet onions and I never have a problem.
Now with garlic I wear gloves because once I didn't and my hands smelled for days... x.X