Vocal Voices

....... when chopping onions?

I have been doing some ready for tea and it struck me that onions have no effect in the crying stakes. I can't even think of a family member who suffers. Yet my BIL starts streaming if he walks in the kitchen and my sis is chopping onions.

Strange.

No they don't affect me at all - I cry when I have to hoover though.

My eyes stream, so I tend to peel them under a running tap or else pop them in the freezer for ten minutes before peeling and chopping. That helps a bit

If you peel the onion quickly, cut it in half and then run under the cold tap. You shouldn't have any problems after that.

Yes they do - but I think it depends on the age, stage and variety of the onion?

Now this has made me think. I had a bad viral thing last year and lost most of my sense of smell. It hasn't come back, but where before my eyes would stream when chopping onions, now they don't How odd.

Oh yes....spring onions and leeks make me cry, but onions have the worst effect on me and make my eyes water for hours afterwards and block up my nose. I use a lot of onions in cooking so have to buy frozen ones.

Loz, Mick has no sense of smell after having his nose broken several times playing rugby - onions don't bother him either!!

Yep, even with all the 'tried and tested' solutions, my eyes stream and sting, even with spring onions, leeks, etc. I've even stood there looking a right eejit with a spoon in my mouth

Loz yes, loss of sense of smell would also stop it, but a high price to pay (((x)))

The only thing that actually helps is to blanch the whole onion in boiling water for a minute or so, before peeling. Helps, yes, but not a solution.
Meriad thankfully pointed out the value of frozen ready-chopped, which has been a godsend.

I still buy whole onions too, especially red ones, but they're not as strong

I use red a lot too Di, but as you say they aren't as strong - not really strong enough for some uses

I might try the frozen, it had never occurred to me to buy them before but they sound a good idea