As I stand here chopping onions, I have tears streaming down my face. Which got me to thinking, why does this happen? It seems like if I take my glasses off my eyes don't burn as bad. Sometimes they don't burn at all. So what is the deal?
A quick search on the web and my next onion is in the refrigerator waiting on me. Why? Because getting them cold slows down a chemical reaction that causes the tears. Aha. Turns out fumes from the onion react with water in your eyes which results in sulfuric acid, hence the burning. For more details see this article at About.com.
So my glasses have nothing to do with it. Guess it just depends on how spicy that onion is that I am going to chop. Anyone else have any ways to keep onions from making you cry? I have heard wives tales about holding a slice of potato in your mouth but no idea if this works. Sounds like a good experiment....hmmmm.....
