A cry for help?
After a TikTok user complained that she cried “too much” while chopping onions, an emergency medicine physician shared a tissue-free slicing strategy that she believes is better than a cut. Is above. the rest,
Dr. Joe Whittington, “I’ll teach you how to never cry while chopping onions again.” Announced on TikTok this month,
The California-based doctor told his 2.1 million followers that slicing an onion releases sulfur compounds that react with enzymes within the vegetable to form a gas that irritates your eyes, causing them to tear up.
The chemical culprit is propanethyl S-oxide – it is a natural defense mechanism onion Use to protect yourself from being eaten by animals.
There are white, yellow and red onions high concentration of enzymes It is needed to produce volatile compounds whereas sweet onions, green onions and scallions do not contain as much.
To prevent waterworks, Whittington recommends placing a wet paper towel near the onions, which acts as a “magnet” to absorb the propanethyl S-oxide when cutting the onions.
“Moisture attracts sulfur compounds, which helps prevent irritation, so you’re less likely to tear up when cutting,” Whittington explains.
this has been a trick first tested – with mixed results.
“I dutifully laid a paper towel underneath my onion and bit into it slowly to give the onion acid time to soak into my eyeballs, or whatever it normally happens to be,” A kitchen writer wrote in 2021“Nothing happened. No tears, no running out of the kitchen. Nothing.”
Mashed, meanwhile, report Taking the paper towel “even an inch away” from the onion can render the cloth useless.
Other sob-free tips include freezing onions in advance, keeping the roots intact, placing a fan next to the cutting board, and using an extremely sharp knife when slicing quickly. wearing safety goggles,
or you can Try SunionsNaturally grown “tearless” onions.