Hey Lykkers! If you’ve ever chopped onions, you know the struggle all too well: you start slicing away, and suddenly your eyes start watering like you’re in a sad movie. But why do onions make us cry?
It’s all about chemistry! Let’s break down what’s going on inside that onion and inside your eyes, plus some clever tips to help you chop onions tear-free.
What’s Inside an Onion That Makes You Cry?
Onions are packed with sulfur-containing compounds. These compounds help the onion defend itself from bugs and animals who might want to eat it. When an onion’s cells are broken — like when you slice or chop it — these compounds get released.
Here’s the juicy (or rather, stinky) part: breaking the onion’s cells releases enzymes that react with sulfur compounds and form a gas called syn-Propanethial-S-oxide. This gas is tiny and volatile, so it quickly floats into the air.
How Does This Gas Make Your Eyes Water?
When syn-Propanethial-S-oxide reaches your eyes, it meets the moisture (your tears and the natural water on your eye surface). There, it turns into a mild sulfuric acid. Even though it’s very diluted, this acid irritates the nerve endings in your eyes.
Your eyes are like an alarm system: when they detect this irritation, they send signals to your brain saying, “Hey, something’s not right here!” Your brain then triggers your tear glands to produce more tears — basically trying to flush out the irritant and protect your eyes.
Why Is It So Hard to Stop Crying?
The tears produced are your body’s natural defense to wash away the irritant. Unfortunately, because chopping onions releases the gas continuously while you cut, your eyes keep getting exposed, and the watering can go on and on.
Some people are just more sensitive to the gas, which explains why some folks can chop onions with hardly a tear, while others feel like they’re in a waterfall.
Different Onions, Different Reactions
Not all onions are equally tear-inducing. Sweet onions and varieties like Vidalia tend to have fewer sulfur compounds, so they produce less of the eye-irritating gas.
Where and how onions are grown also matters — soil type, climate, and how fresh the onion is can all affect sulfur levels. So next time you’re at the store, choosing a milder onion might save you some tears!
Tips to Keep Your Eyes Dry While Chopping
Want to stop the onion tears before they start? Here are some tried-and-true tricks:
- Chill your onions: Putting onions in the fridge for 30 minutes slows the chemical reaction that produces the gas.
- Use a sharp cutter: A sharp blade makes cleaner cuts and causes less cell damage, releasing less gas.
- Cut under running water or near a fan: Water or air currents help blow the gas away from your eyes before it gets to them.
- Wear goggles: Yes, those swimming or safety goggles make a real difference by blocking the gas.
- Cut off the root last: The root end has the highest concentration of sulfur compounds, so save it for last.
Final Thoughts
So, the next time your eyes start watering while chopping onions, remember it’s just your body’s way of protecting you from a natural chemical attack. Onions may be tasty, but they come with a bit of kitchen chemistry that can get emotional!
Try out some of these tips to reduce tears and keep cooking fun — because good food doesn’t have to come with a flood of tears.
