FoodReference.com (since 1999)

 

COOKING TIPS AND HINTS SECTION

Home   |   Articles   |   Food Trivia   |   Today in Food History   |   Food Timeline   |   Recipes   |   COOKING_TIPS   |   Food Quotes   |   Who’s Who   |   Culinary Schools & Tours   |   Food_Trivia_Quizzes   |   Food Poems   |   Free Magazines   |   Food Festivals and Events

Cooking and Kitchen Tips and Hints, Measurements, Shopping Advice, Serving Ideas, etc.

 You are here > Home

See also: Articles & Trivia

 

FREE MAGAZINES
and other Publications

An extensive selection of free magazines and other publications

 

philodendron250

ONIONS & TEARS

There are many methods recommended for cutting onions to avoid tears. Each method has its supporters. Try each of them, if one works for you, use it.

Methods:

    • cut the root off last;

    • refrigerate before cutting;

    • peel them under cold water;

    • have a fan behind you or alongside to blow the vapors away;

    • place a piece of bread on the knife tip to absorb the fumes;

    • chew gum while peeling and slicing onions.

    • hold you breath and cut them as quick as you can

    • have someone else cut them for you!


Why we cry when cutting onions.

Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit (Imani et al, 2002).

The process goes as follows:

    • Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.

    • The synthase enzyme converts the sulfoxides (amino acids) of the onion into sulfenic acid.

    • The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.

    • Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!

Library of Congress, Science Reference Services, Everyday Mysteries
 

 

COOKING TIPS

  Nappe to Oyster Mushroom   |   Nap, Nappe   |   Nappy   |   Navy Beans   |   Nectarines   |   New Potatoes   |   New Zealand Spinach   |   Nonreactive   |   Nutella   |   Nutmeg   |   Nuts   |   Okra   |   Olive Oil   |   Onions   |   Onions & Tears   |   Oranges   |   Oregano   |   Ostrich   |   Ostrich Eggs   |   Oven Temperatures   |   Oysters   |   Oyster Mushrooms  
  Home   |   About Us & Contact Us   |   Recipes   |   Cooking Basics   |   World Cuisine   |   Other Links  

Please feel free to link to any pages of FoodReference.com from your website.
For permission to use any of this content please E-mail: james@foodreference.com
All contents are copyright © 1990 - 2024 James T. Ehler and www.FoodReference.com unless otherwise noted.
All rights reserved.  You may copy and use portions of this website for non-commercial, personal use only.
Any other use of these materials without prior written authorization is not very nice and violates the copyright.
Please take the time to request permission.

 

FoodReference.com Logo

 

Popular Pages