Gaby
The humble onion is a key ingredient in many dishes around the world. However, slicing this popular vegetable often turns into a true nightmare. A task that seems simple can leave us in tears, much like watching a sentimental movie.
Good news: a new study offers a simple, tear-free method for chopping onions. You don’t need to stock up on tissues or wear swimming goggles to do it.
What is this method?
Previous research showed that when you cut onions they release a chemical called syn-propanethial-S-oxide that irritates the eyes. But how to reduce its release remained unclear.
A newly identified kitchen hack reduces the amount of onion juice aerosolized into the air and reaching your eyes. The trick is to use a sharp knife and slice slowly, the Daily Mail reports.
“Our results showed that dull knives increase both the speed of juice droplet release and their quantity,” the team stated.
How did the researchers reach this conclusion?
For the study, the researchers built a special guillotine fitted with blades of varying sharpness. During the experiment, the team sliced onions using different blades at different speeds.
The researchers recorded the cutting process on camera to measure how much juice was released into the air. The results showed that the amount of aerosolized substance depended on two key factors.
The first factor was knife sharpness. The least juice splatter occurred when the scientists used the sharpest blades.
The second factor was cutting speed. While one might assume cutting quickly would produce less splatter, that’s not the case.
“Faster cutting led to the production of more juice, and consequently, more mist that irritates the eyes,” the researchers explained.
So, if you want to chop onions without tears, grab a sharp knife and take your time.
They also said this practice can help reduce the airborne spread of pathogens in kitchens, especially when cutting vegetables with tough outer layers.
