The Super Quick Way To Prevent Onions From Making Your Eyes Tear Up

We've all been there: you're chopping onions for your latest recipe (did somebody say French onion soup!?) and your eyes start to burn — maybe you're even tearing up. Whatever the case, all you want to do is figure out a way to be able to finally chop onions in peace. While there are tons of tips and tricks on the internet to help you have a better experience, we've recently discovered the fastest way to prevent onions from absolutely destroying your eyes: zapping them in the microwave first.

So how does it work? Well, lachrymatory-factor synthase — the tear-causing enzyme that gets released into the air while cutting – breaks down once it's warmed up, helping to reduce how much of it hits your eyes. When using this method, trim the ends off of the onion and then nuke it for approximately 45 seconds before chopping. Keep in mind that this will produce a warm onion, so you may not want to use it if you're prepping yours to use in its raw form, like in salads or to top burgers.

If you're not interested in the microwave hack, there are other ways to help prevent — or reduce — tears while cutting them. One popular way is to store your onions in the freezer before chopping. You don't want a completely frozen onion, so toss them in for about 10 to 15 minutes before they hit the cutting board. This helps to slow down the release of the enzyme that makes your eyes water, so cut them quickly! Similarly, you can try submerging your onion in cold water for about 15 minutes before chopping.

Another trick is to make sure you're using the right knife. In fact, the sharper the knife, the fewer tears you'll have when dealing with onions. This is because a dull knife tends to crush more of the vegetable, which can cause more of that finicky enzyme to be released. A sharp knife, on the other hand, causes less damage to the walls of the onion, helping to reduce how much is released into the air.

If you want to be super extra, there are even a couple of tools you can use. For instance, wearing goggles may look silly, but it's a known way to prevent tears because you're completely protecting your eyes. You can also opt to cut your onions in front of a fan so that it blows away those pesky vapors while you're working.