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Lifestyle

How to Avoid Crying When Cutting Onions

This article is written by a student writer from the Spoon University at IU chapter.

“No, I’m not upset, it’s the onions” is no longer something you’ll have to say while in the kitchen. Believe it or not, there is a right and a wrong way to cut an onion. The good news is that it’s not very hard to do correctly. Chefs have been cutting onions like this since the dawn of time and it’s time that we all learn to do it too. Not only will this method rid you of those pesky onion induced tears, it’ll cut down on your chopping time and leave you with proportionate onion slices. So really it’s a win-win.

cutting onions

Photo by Karen O’Brien

1. Slice your onion down the middle horizontally.

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

2. Peel the outer layers off both halves.

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

3. Cut each half down the center of the bulb.

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

4. Flip one section so the bulb is on the cutting board and begin to slice the section on an angle, making sure not to cut all the way to the top. Watch those fingers!

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

5. Cut the onion horizontally across the notches you just made. The thickness you cut will determine how thick or thin your final product will be.

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

You’ll end up with something like this; diced perfection.

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

If you want long strips of onions, cut the horizontal sections closer to the bulb. Voilà!

cutting onions

Photo by Amanda Gray

Want more on how to cut stuff? Check these out: