What do onions and The Lion King have in common? They both have the ability to make everyone cry like a baby, that’s what. Here are our best tips on how to keep the Disney movie style waterworks out of the kitchen.
Freezer tactic
Freezing the onion before you cut it slows the release of those pesky tear-jerking chemicals. It works but your hands might get a bit cold in the process.
Chop under a fan
If you have an extractor fan, try cutting your onion underneath it so that the chemicals disperse quicker and waft away from your eyes.
Bread barrier
Keeping a piece of bread in your mouth whilst you chop absorbs some of the chemicals before they can get up your nose or into your eyes.
Chewing gum
Chewing gum while you cut the onion encourages you to breathe out of your mouth rather than breathing in the chemicals through your nose.
Wooden spoon
Biting on a wooden spoon is also supposed to help block the chemicals and stop you breathing in through your nose.
Not all of these work for everyone but give them a try and you might just find you can finely dice your onion without having to reach for kleenex!
