How To Cut An Onion: the easy way to cut onions

Onions are the basic ingredient in many recipes. Whether you use them to make fried onion rings or chop them up as a part of a mirepoix or sofrito, they add flavor that not many other vegetables can match. There’s just one downside when it comes to onions… they make us cry! Oftentimes (if not always) the onion cutting process ends up in tears. And the internet is full of solutions too: close your mouth, eat chewing gum, and some even say you should wear swimming goggles! If you tried these techniques before, you probably know that they don’t really work. So how do you cut an onion properly? Well, luckily, we have the right tear-free solution for you (with the science to back it!). To top it off, we even add top tips on how to cut onions for different recipes.

There is a scientific reason behind tear-causing eyes. The onions contain a chemical called syn-Propanethial-S-oxide. It’s this irritant that stimulates the eyes to produce tears. A sharp knife will cause minimal damage to the onion membranes, which will reduce tears. Most home cooks sharpen their knives only now and then (if ever), which is why home cooking usually ends up in tears!

The other tip that really works is to minimize your exposure to the cut sides. Do this by keeping the cut sides down on the cutting board. The more the onion is cut, the faster you will need to work to keep tears to a minimum.

To cut onions without hurting yourself, the knife you use must be sharp. Contrary to what you might think, a dull knife is actually more dangerous than a sharp one!

So before you start, use a sharpening stone to sharpen your chef’s knife.

Cut your onion in half from the top.

Carefully remove the onion skins.

The onions are now ready for cutting.

To avoid heartburn and poor digestion, dip onion into water and vinegar for 30 minutes before using them.

How you cut the onions will depend on the recipe you use them in.

– Sliced onions are great for recipes like stir-fries, fajitas, or caramelized onions.

– Diced onions usually form the base of soups and stews, together with celery and carrot. If you want all the flavor, but not big onion pieces, dicing them is a great technique.

– Julienned onions are mush thinner than plain sliced onions. They’re therefore great in recipes where raw onion is used. Red onions are often julienned and added to a salad.

– The onion ring technique is perfect for fried or baked onion rings.

Cut the onion in half, keeping the root on.

Then cut slices horizontally, making half-moon slices.

Cut the onion in half, keeping the root on.

Then cut slices lengthways from the tip almost to the root. Cut another slice parallel to the chopping board.

Then cut across the onion in the opposite direction to make the cubes.

Chop the onion as fine as you want.

Cut the onion in half, keeping the root on.

Then cut slices lengthways from the tip almost to the root.

Finally cut the root off.

Cut the tip off the onion and peel it. Cut across the onion to make large circular slices.

Then separate the slices into rings.

If you want to bread the rings to make fried onion rings, make sure to cut the rings thicker than normal.

Once you cut onions, it has to be refrigerated. But you must make sure to either wrap it tightly with plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container. If you store it without wrapping, the onion odor will affect the other foods in your fridge. It will keep in the fridge for up to 10 days.

You can also freeze chopped onions. Portion them in bags (make sure to remove the air from the bag) and freeze up to 6 months.