Quick question about onions... no i dont wanna eat any...?!
why do they make you cry!? i dont understand!. i heard they also make tear gas out of onions!.!.!. but i wanna know how on earth an onion can make you cry!?!Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Onions may cause your eyes to tear for the following reason:
When you cut into an onion, you slice through cells which contain
sulfur compounds!. Sulfur is quite a noxious (bad smelling)
element!. The compounds released are highly volatile, meaning they
quickly enter the air in their vicinity!. Your eyes produce tears
because your body wants to wash or dilute the chemicals before they
effect your eyes!. The tears are a natural way the body can wash
the offensive chemicals away!.
Since there are a variety of onions, we would expect there to be
a variety of amounts and types of sulfur compounds produced by them!.
Think of it as different types of apples: some are red, some yellow,
some green, and they all taste a bit different due to different
chemical compositions!. Onions are different in that way too!.
Some are REALLY bad smelling, some only mildly bad smelling!.
One further bit of information!. The chemicals which I described above
are both volatile AND water soluble!. This means if you cut the onion
while holding it under a spray of water, the chemicals will wash down
the drain and will not enter the air in as great an amount to cause
your eyes irritation!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
When you cut into an onion, you slice through cells which contain
sulfur compounds!. Sulfur is quite a noxious (bad smelling)
element!. The compounds released are highly volatile, meaning they
quickly enter the air in their vicinity!. Your eyes produce tears
because your body wants to wash or dilute the chemicals before they
effect your eyes!. The tears are a natural way the body can wash
the offensive chemicals away!.
Since there are a variety of onions, we would expect there to be
a variety of amounts and types of sulfur compounds produced by them!.
Think of it as different types of apples: some are red, some yellow,
some green, and they all taste a bit different due to different
chemical compositions!. Onions are different in that way too!.
Some are REALLY bad smelling, some only mildly bad smelling!.
One further bit of information!. The chemicals which I described above
are both volatile AND water soluble!. This means if you cut the onion
while holding it under a spray of water, the chemicals will wash down
the drain and will not enter the air in as great an amount to cause
your eyes irritation!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
there is a gas in them!. i never heard of them making tear gas with them!. but there is a gas in them that realses when you cut the onion!. so if you dont want them to make you cry then cut a slice in an onion and walk away for a min or two then cut them and they will not make you cryWww@FoodAQ@Com
onions have a non poisionous acid in that makes you cryWww@FoodAQ@Com
Great answer from Carl!. I keep my onions in the refrig and it seems to minimize eye burningWww@FoodAQ@Com