How to chop onions without crying

    Once-a-month cooking makes sense. Ever heard of it? You spend several hours in the kitchen cooking in bulk and after clean-up, there are meals in the fridge and freezer ready for the month ahead. Others find once-a-week cooking more doable, finding a few hours on a Sunday rather than most of a day.
    I knew some gals who made it a group effort. More hands to chop, cook and stir made for time efficiency while providing welcomed conversation. They had more time for family and activities the rest of the month. The process allows home-cooked meals when you wouldn’t otherwise have time.
    Although I don’t plan a month in advance, I have found it gratifying those times I’ve prepped ahead. When making lasagna, meatballs or chicken and noodles, make extra for the freezer. Since we’re no longer feeding a family, the containers can be even smaller for more meals.
    There was a bag of onions on sale awhile back and it triggered a step to chop and cook them in bulk. I could spread the cooked batch out on a pan to freeze, then break off in chunks to store in the freezer. Onions could be added to any food without having to chop and saute. And so it began. I set out eight onions and barely got into the chopping mode when my eyes were watering profusely. The burning sensation increased but an attempt to dab my eyes with a damp cloth or tissue didn’t do much.
    Finally reaching the point that I couldn’t keep my eyes open, I stepped into a modern-day life and asked Siri how to avoid crying when cutting an onion. It’s incredible how quickly answers pop up! There was some mention of wives’ tales with the hint that none of the suggestions really helped. One was to freeze the onion, but I was ready for chopping now. Another was to soak the onion in ice water, to put the cut side down to keep the juice fumes away from the eyes. Another actually made me laugh. Let a piece of bread hang from your mouth.
 

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.