AH, onions — we love and hate them in equal measure. They’re so versatile and tasty — but they can also lose their flavour if they’re not stored correctly, and of course there’s the perennial problem of them making you cry. To get the best out of onions, according to Germany’s Federal Centre for Nutrition, they should be kept in a cool, dry place — that way, they will stay good for months. They should not be refrigerated, nor kept in plastic bags or containers.
If they’re still good to eat, they should have a dry outer skin that rustles when you touch it. The big question regarding onions is, of course, how to cut them without crying. The tears are caused by oils present within the vegetable’s flesh. When the cells are cut, the enzyme alliinase is released.
This converts the odourless precursor alliin into allicin, a pungent substance that irritates the mucous membranes, which in turn induces tears to flow. You can reduce this by using a really sharp knife, so that fewer cells are damaged. It also helps to dip the knife, chopping board and onion briefly in cold water before you start. You can also submerge the onions in a bowl — or sink — full of water while peeling and cutting them. – dpa
