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Julia Altshuler
 
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Jess Askin wrote:

> For me it's not the variety so much as the freshness. The fresher the
> onion, the more I tear up.



I've had the exact opposite experience. It was explained to me thus:
The tearing is from the tear-making stuff in the onion getting into the
air and into your eyes. If the onion is young, the cell wall does a
good job of keeping the tear-making stuff in. If the knife is sharp,
fewer cell walls are broken so less gets into the air. If the onion is
old, the cell walls break down which equals more irritation and tears.
Anything that mashes or purees the onion will mean more tearing than
plain cutting. In addition to a sharp knife, I get a good deal of
protection from my ordinary glasses. Then I work quickly and
efficiently and cover the cut onions with plastic as soon as I can. I
skip all other hints for tear free onions.


--Lia