What is the gas in onions that makes your eyes water and how do you avoid it apart from not chopping onions?!
Answers:
Best Answer - Chosen by Voters
Onions produce the chemical irritant known as syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It stimulates the eyes' lachrymal glands so they release tears. Scientists used to blame the enzyme allinase for the instability of substances in a cut onion. Recent studies from Japan, however, proved that lachrymatory-factor synthase, (a previously undiscovered enzyme) is the culprit (Imani et al, 2002).
The process goes as follows:
1. Lachrymatory-factor synthase is released into the air when we cut an onion.
2. The synthase enzyme converts the sulfoxides (amino acids) of the onion into sulfenic acid.
3. The unstable sulfenic acid rearranges itself into syn-ropanethial-S-oxide.
4. Syn-propanethial-S-oxide gets into the air and comes in contact with our eyes. The lachrymal glands become irritated and produces the tears!
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/…
There have been a lot of ideas over the years in how not to cry while chopping onions such as refrigerate them or stand on your left foot while you sing mary had a little lamb etc..nothing really works...and the only thing I can honestly say ever worked 100% for me was wearing ski goggles while I diced and sliced.
It does make you look a little strange....especially if you have people over....LOL
The enzyme allinase has always been blamed...however new studies have disputed that...But I am not into chemistry...So next time try the goggles...
Have a great day....
Might sound daft but... When you are chopping stick your tongue out for as long as your chopping them, the gases are attracted to there for some reason instead of your eyes :) i do it all the time and dont worry it wont make you smell of onions lol :)
all the above is good, but also make sure your knife is as sharp as can be. A dull knife will tend to "crush" the onion rather than cut or slice it, thus giving off more of the spray.
I chop a lot of onions -- bread in your mouth and put onions in the freezer before you chop them (the gasses come out when the onion is warm).
After I peel the onions I run them under cold water and they seldom bother me when I'm chopping them. The above poster is right. A warm onion will make you cry; a cold one won't.
An onion that's been in the refrigerator over night won't make your eyes water when cut.
swimming goggles :D
Breathe through your mouth.
