A doctor says you will ‘never’ cry while cutting onions again if you follow his advice (stock) (Image: Getty)
A doctor has shared a clever kitchen trick that promises to make slicing a breeze, sparing you the tears and frustration.
We’ve all been there, in the midst of preparing a hearty , only to be interrupted by the need for a tearful time-out when slicing onions.
But fear not, as Dr Joe – a qualified with more than 2.1million followers on – has come to the rescue with his latest video. “I’m going to teach you how to never cry again cutting onions,” he confidently begins his tutorial.
He reveals that chopping an onion releases a compound called syn-propanethial-S-oxide as a gas. He says: “When this gas reacts to the moisture in your eyes, it forms sulphuric acid, which is what causes the burning.”
To combat this, Dr Joe suggests a simple solution: dampen a paper towel and place it beside the onion while you chop. This, he claims, will attract the gas and prevent it from irritating your eyes.
Cutting onions releases sulfur compounds that form a gas, which irritates your eyes and causes them to tear up. Placing a wet paper towel near the onion absorbs some of these gas particles, reducing the amount that reaches your eyes. The moisture attracts the sulfur compounds, helping to prevent irritation, so you’re less likely to shed tears while chopping.
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The duo behind @partyshirt account, who regularly test whether advice on the platform actually works, previously tried this hack out – and neither of them cried after “hours” of chopping. They dubbed it “life hack of the century”.
Dr Joe’s video on how to avoid onion tears sparked a debate among viewers, with some claiming the method was ineffective. However, others suggested the key is using more than one paper towel.
One said: “It works but I found I have to use two wet paper towels. Maybe it’s because mine are select a size and smaller than a regular size paper towel lol.” Another confidently stated: “It works every time for me.”
Others shared their own hacks for avoiding onion tears. A common suggestion was placing the onion in your freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes before cutting. This works by decreasing the volatility of syn-Propanethial-S-oxide.