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Will chilling an onion before cutting it keep you from crying?
Cooking with Onions without Crying 
Onions not only add wonderful flavor to food, they also offer significant health benefits. Onions are a source of inulin (for a healthy gut), and a good source of vitamin C, fiber and manganese. If cooking with onions brings tears to your eyes, here’s why according to the University of Illinois Extension: When you cut into an onion, the cell walls are damaged releasing a sulfur compound called propanethial-S-oxide which floats into the air.
This compound is converted to sulfuric acid when it comes in contact with water which is why it produces the stinging sensation and subsequent tears. To reduce tearing when cutting an onion, the recommends you “first chill the onions for 30 minutes. Then, cut off the top and peel the outer layers leaving the root end intact.” It’s the root end that has the highest concentration of the sulphuric compounds that cause your eyes to tear.
If you still have problems with tearing, consider purchasing pre-chopped onions. If a sweet onion will work in your recipe, sweet onions may be less likely to make you cry. Sources:
, National Onion Association, University of Illinois Extension
The article was originally written by Alice Henneman. It was reviewed and updated in 2021. : Cooking with Onions without Crying
Why does a wet paper towel help when cutting onions?
Damp Paper Towel – While slicing, onions release a chemical that look for a water source, In most cases, the closest water source is your eyes! 
Placing a damp paper towel next to your onion will redirect the chemicals to travel there instead of traveling to your eyes.
Why put chopped onion in water?
Onions – soaking in cold water to soften the flavor When preparing raw onions, soak in cold water before hand to remove some of the pungency and soften the flavor. However since soaking too long will dilute the flavor, soaking in cold water for 5 to 10 minutes is recommended.
How do chefs cut onions?
How to Chop an Onion – While it takes some practice to get super speedy at cutting finely chopped onions, it doesn’t take long for even beginner cooks to ace this basic chopping method.
After washing and peeling off the papery outer skin of the onion, place the onion on its side on a cutting board. Slice off the top of the onion. Turn the onion so the newly cut flat side sits on the board surface and slice the onion in half through the root end. Place an onion half, flat side down, on the cutting board. Cut the half into thin wedges by making ½-inch slices lengthwise through the onion, cutting up to, but not through, the root end. (This keeps the onion from falling apart.) Turn the onion and make ½-inch slices that are perpendicular to the previous slices (crosswise on the onion). The onion will fall apart in neat ½-inch pieces. Repeat steps with the remaining onion half. Once you reach the root end, compost or discard it.
Now that you have chopped onions, you can forge ahead to even smaller cuts if desired. To create finely chopped onion pieces, simply proceed from here: Run your knife back and forth over the pile of more coarsely chopped onion pieces until they reach approximately ¼-inch cubes.
For minced onions, keep chopping until the pieces are about ⅛ inch. Test Kitchen Tip : You can chop onions in a food processor ($45, Bed Bath & Beyond ) if you’re trying to save time or are seeking a way to chop onions without crying, but the pieces will likely not be as uniform in size. To chop onions in a food processor, install the “s” blade.
Peel and quarter the onions, then press the “pulse” button about 5 to 7 times until the onion pieces reach your desired size. Start with just a few pulses to avoid overprocessed onions that can taste a bit off or end up with a too-wet texture. Now that we’ve covered the best way to chop an onion, here’s one of the worst: making horizontal cuts in the onion.
Do we cut or chop onions?
What are the different ways to cut an onion? – How to dice an onion (cubes) 
Cut it in half, leaving the root intact (the roots are going to hold the onion together until you make the final set of slices to form neat cubes).Make two or three horizontal cuts into the first onion half, cutting towards the roots but not through them.Cut down vertically, holding the onion together as you do so. Repeat both these sets of cuts with the other half of the onion.Turn the onion so that the root end is furthest from the knife and chop downwards with a slicing motion, moving towards the root to create finely diced pieces of onion.
How to slice an onion
Cut the top off the onion (the end that looks like a spout rather than the root end).Peel the skin away, discarding the brown layers until you’re left with two clean, yellow onion halves.Thinly slice the onion.Alternatively, turn the onion so that the root is pointing south and slice into half-moons against the grain.
Slicing into rings
Slice the top off the onion and peel, keeping it whole.Hold it firmly on a chopping board and slice across into rings.Discard the root and stalk ends.
How do you cut onions with scissors?
How to cut green onions with a kitchen scissor – If you’re not handy with a knife, an easy way to cut green onions is to use kitchen scissors, Simply hold a bunch in one hand and snip with the scissors. You can use the scissors to cut the scallions directly into the food and not use a cutting board at all.
What is the difference between chop and dice onion?
What is the difference between chopped and diced onion? – The difference between chopped and diced is that chopped is looser. There may be some uneven pieces. Dice is ideally small squares of even sizes. Since there are layers to an onion, even an onion that is properly diced will fall apart into sheets, so they will not be cubes (the way diced carrots would stay cubed.)
How do you cut onions with scissors?
How to cut green onions with a kitchen scissor – If you’re not handy with a knife, an easy way to cut green onions is to use kitchen scissors, Simply hold a bunch in one hand and snip with the scissors. You can use the scissors to cut the scallions directly into the food and not use a cutting board at all.