Any experienced home cook or seasoned chef has been on the wrong side of the onion a time or two. Whether you’re chopping, slicing, or dicing, cooking with onions can reduce almost anyone to a weepy mess.
Thankfully, there’s a way to get rid of your burning, watering eyes and get back to cooking: hold an ice cube in your mouth while chopping onions to keep your eyes from watering. Biting into a piece of bread also works for some people.
As to why it works? As with many home remedies like this (think every hiccup cure you’ve ever tried), no one really knows. Some say that having something in your mouth encourages you to breathe through your mouth, sucking in the gasses from the onion that irritate your eyes. Whatever the cause, we’ll take any relief from those burning onion tears!
Photo credit: Paul Delmont
This article is related to:
Cooking Questions, Cooking Techniques, Cooking Tips, Food Hacks, Home Remedies, Kitchen Hacks, Kitchen Tips
Annalise Mantz
Annalise is a foodie, Brussels sprouts lover, grammar nerd, and political pet aficionado.
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