Mum shares genius hack to stop tears while chopping onions: 'It really works'
Chopping onions might be the simplest task when it comes to cooking dinner, but it can also be the most painful.
Symptoms such as stinging eyes and uncontrollable tears streaming down your face have long been accepted as part and parcel of cutting up onions.
However one clever mum has devised a trick to ensure you never have to cry again while serving up the classic vegetable.
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Trina Michelle claims a wet paper towel stops you from crying while chopping onions. Facebook
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Canadian mum Trina Michelle took to Facebook to share her genius hack, which involves a cheap item you'll already have in your kitchen.
Michelle says all you need is a wet paper towel sitting on your counter while chopping onions.
"Did you know the reason you 'cry' when you chop onions is that the chemical in the onion is attracted to the nearest source of water (which is usually the eyes)," she wrote.
"If you place a wet paper towel next to your chopping board, the onion will gravitate towards that, and not your eyes. It really works!! Give it a try!"
Michelle then shared a photo of a small wad of wet paper towels sitting next to her chopping board.
Her friends and followers were amazed by the hack and some shared their own ideas for avoiding the tears.
The wet paper towel acts as another source of water the chemicals in the onion will gravitate towards. iStock
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"I definitely have to try this! Usually by the third or fourth slice into the onion, my eyes are watering so badly I can't see what I'm doing," one woman wrote.
"I have tried chopping onion while holding a piece of bread in my mouth. It definitely helps. I'll have to try this," another said.
One added: "I turn on the tap at the kitchen sink while chopping onions, works great too."
There are several other tried and tested ways to cut up onions without crying.
According to BonAppetit, you can freeze the onion before chopping it to reduce the tear-inducing compound or use a very sharp knife, which will prevent mashing the onion cells.
There are several other tried and tested ways to cut up onions without crying. Getty Images/iStockphoto
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Other ways to avoid tears include running the onion under water while cutting, chewing mint gum, wearing goggles or breathing through your mouth while your tongue is out.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay has also previously shared his tip for avoiding stinging eyes when it comes to onions.
In a video posted to his social media, Ramsay said it is important to keep the root of the onion intact while chopping with a sharp knife.
"If you cut that off, the onion will start to bleed and you'll start crying rapidly," he explained.
