Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tip of the Day- Stopping Onion Eyes

After rereading my post from yesterday, I realized I could answer my own question and figure out a way to stop crying.

Wearing ski goggles provides more funny stories than actual relief from irritation. (True story: I once came home to a late-night cooking session in which a drunk roommate had ski goggles on while chopping onions for a quesadilla. Hilarity ensued.) Goggles don't work very well because the sulfur product released by chopping still lands in your nose and attacks nasal nerve endings.

The solution Harold McGee offers in our useful textbook, "On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen," is to minimize the excretion of the sulfur product in the first place.

Soak your unpeeled onions first in ice water for 30-60 minutes. The cold water will minimize the release of the tear-producing sulfur. Then when you go to cut your onion, these acidic molecules won't reach your nose and eyes.

Voila'!



Goggles: good for sunny days on the hill, not so good in the kitchen.

2 comments:

  1. wuthieee you are sooo smart!!!!...I believe I have a picture of my roomate wearing goggles as well while cutting onions in the kitchen...ha!

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  2. i made french onion soup for scott and i the other day..... little did i know, chopping four onion creates A LOT of onions slices with A LOT of onion juice. didn't have time for the clever cold water soak, so i utilized your drunk friend's tip... the goggles really worked, but my nose still got worked! next time, i'll try the ruth tip :)

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