Martha Stewart's Burner Trick To Chop Onions Without Crying

There's nothing like the savory scent of onions and garlic simmering in bubbling melted butter or hot oil. Onions are an essential aromatic in countless classic soups and stews, but preparing them can be a dramatic task. For some home cooks, slicing and dicing the root vegetable leads to a torrent of tears. 

There's a reason you might look like you've just finished a heart-wrenching romcom while preparing a shepherd's pie or rich French onion soup. The teary, sniffly sensation you experience while chopping onions, is simply the onion protecting itself. When their skin is torn, onions release enzymes and sulfenic acid, which then merge to create propanethial S-oxide gas. This response is to deter hungry mammals from making a meal of them while they're growing underground.

Luckily kitchen maven, Martha Stewart, has a simple solution that will stop you from shedding your sorrows all over your shallots. To cut down on crying while cooking, Stewart suggests slicing onions near an open flame.

Martha Stewart is no stranger to clever hosting hacks. The cook and television personality has developed smart solutions for saving money on pantry staples, dressing up a basic baked potato, and adding a little sweetness to tuna salad. She's a party-planning professional and lifestyle expert, so it's only natural Stewart should have a quick fix for crying in the kitchen.

Stewart shared a solution she says she used to use as a caterer, chopping 20 to 30 pounds of onions at a time. In the video posted to TikTok, Stewart demonstrates her onion-chopping hack. The cook places her cutting board close to the edge of a stovetop with a burning flame. She then goes on to thinly slice an onion, claiming this process kept her from shedding a single tear. 

The reason this method works is that it burns off the irksome compounds that cause you to tear and sniffle. So, whether you're preparing three onions or 30, a standard kitchen appliance might help you keep your composure.

If you've been weeping over your veggies and have been tempted to say "bye-bye" to the bulb, you should know you're not alone. Tackling the troublesome onion has plagued enough people that, in addition to Stewart's trick, there are a few other tried and true hacks for cutting onions without crying.

Try chilling your onions to stall the release of irritants. Store them in the refrigerator or leave them in the freezer for 20 minutes before cutting. You can also keep a fan on while chopping, to air out the space and diffuse fumes. The pesky veggie has also led to a few fashion innovations that might quell your culinary issues. Try purchasing a pair of onion goggles to protect your eyes while prepping, or consider sporting nose plugs to block the fumes. It's also important to keep your knife very sharp, which will expedite the process and limit exposure to irritating gasses. Now you can save those tears for sobbing over that perfect first bite.