Onion included in many dishes. Many people think that this is an auxiliary component, like spices, but this is far from the case. There are many recipes in which onions are actually one of the main components.
There are two major problems with onion cooking. The first is that during cutting, the collapsing onion cells release sulfinylpropane. This substance, falling on the cornea, breaks down and turns into sulfuric acid. It is very small, a person does not even feel any pain, but it is quite enough to trigger the receptors that trigger the lacrimal glands.
Another problem with slicing onions is that they tend to fall apart all the time. The multi-layered structure of the onion falls apart when cut, and if you cannot hold it with your fingers, the finely chopped onion will be scattered over a large area.
It will have to be collected and cut into small pieces. All this leads to a loss of time and new portions of sulfinylpropane. To avoid the described unpleasant consequences, you need to know how to properly cut onions. The article describes a method devoid of these shortcomings.
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The essence of the method
Onion root zone
The main mistake of all those who cut onions and then suffer from tears, in fact, is their ignorance of the biological characteristics of the bulb. The highest intensity of the sulfinylpropane release reaction in onion occurs when its root zone is damaged.
But it is precisely this that is cut off in the first place! Naturally, this should not be done. The root zone is allowed to be cut 1-2 times in a perpendicular plane, but it should not be cut off.
The essence of the method of properly cutting onions is that the root zone is removed last. In this case, the amount of sulfinylpropane released will be minimal.
Action # 1 Slicing the onion perpendicular to the root zone
Onion ready to cut
At the beginning, the onion is cut into two halves and placed on a cutting board.
Correct finger position
An important point in the cutting process is the correct position of the knife and the fingers of the opposite hand, which will limit the movement of the knife in a horizontal plane.
The tip of the knife does not extend beyond the bulb when cutting
Slicing in a perpendicular direction is carried out in such a way that the knife does not cut off the layers of the onion completely, leaving small pieces in the root zone. Thanks to this, the bulb does not crumble, and there is no damage to the root zone.
Thus, cuts are made throughout the bulb, reaching the opposite edge.
Action #2 Slicing in the horizontal plane
New bulb position
At this stage, the bulb turns 90 °, with the root zone towards itself.
2-3 horizontal cuts are enough
Further cuts are already being made in the horizontal plane. They also do not reach the edge of the bulb and do not touch the root zone.
Action #3 Cutting parallel to the root zone
Final cutting step
The final stage of cutting, in which there is no longer a need to preserve the integrity of the bulb. The bulb is placed on the board and it is cut in a plane parallel to the root zone. In this case, the movements of the knife completely go beyond the bulb.
The remaining root zone is cut arbitrarily
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