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Friday, 1 August 2014

How to avoid tears while cutting an onion

I’ve never been found of sweet food & onion has always been a significant ingredient in most of the things that I cook, but using too much of onion in food isn’t an easy task as while cutting an onion one cannot avoid tears rolling to his/her cheeks.

It happens because onions while cutting releases a gas called propanthial S-oxide. This gas is a volatile sulphur compound. The gas after reaching our eyes reacts with the water of our eyes & forms sulphuric acid. The sulphuric acid thus produced causes burning sensation in our eyes & this in turn leads our tear glands to secret tears. The tear glands secrete tears to lubricate our eyes & even dilute the propanthial S-oxide gas. Thus we end up with watery eyes every time we cut onions.

Fortunately I found a technique with which one can avoid tears coming from my eyes while cutting an onion. Wear tight big goggles while cutting onion. The tight goggles will prevent the propanthial S-oxide gas from reaching eyes. Also prefer to cut an onion with a sharp knife. A sharp knife cuts an onion cleanly & cause less bruising, thus less irritant chemical in the air.

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