Tinfoil Chef

One of the things that I really like to use in stuff is onions. And not *JUST* the plain old yellow or white onions that you typically see the most of in the produce section of the store. I’m talking about sweet onions (especially Vidalia!), the big white Bermuda, the Shallot and still there are more. Did you know that Leeks are related to onions? Green onions, Scallions and Chives are also relatives in the onion family and these only touch the surface. I think someday I’d like to have at least a fractional ownership in a farmer’s market just so that I could have access to the freshest onions of all varieties.

I know that when you talk about putting onions on or in food a lot of people think two things about them. 1) that they’re going to cry when they cut them and 2) that it’s going to give them bad breath. Neither of these have to be true.

For the part about crying when you cut onions I’ve heard all sorts of things from cutting them underwater (you ever TRY that? Take my advice… Don’t do it.), to keeping them cold and several other things that are supposed to be the secret to not having your eyes water. The reason your eyes water is because of a reaction to the juice of the onion spraying as you’re cutting it. However I’ve found that there are just a few basic steps to avoiding this problem.

a) make sure you’re using a sharp knife. I can’t emphasize this enough. If the knife is sharp it’ll cut through quickly with little to no spraying of the onion juice that will happen if the knife or cutter is dull. The reason is that the dull tool will squeeze the onion and cause bits of juice to spray as it finally begins to cut. A sharp knife will begin to cut with a lot less pressure and therefore not spray nearly as much.

b) NEVER put your hands / fingers in, on, or anywhere near your face or eyes while cutting the onions. That juice is on your hands while you’re cutting… get it in your eyes and it’s all over. Also, don’t bend down while cutting. if your face is close to the onion you’ve got more chances to get the spraying juice of the onion in your eyes. It’s best to have your cutting surface about waist high or so.

c) make your cuts firm and quick. Don’t saw at the thing. position the knife and apply pressure. if the knife is properly sharp it’ll go right through.

Finally, once you’re done cutting, take a few seconds to wash your hands and wipe down the cutting area.

I’ve been following this practice for quite a while now and haven’t had a problem with “onion tears” in quite a while.

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