by Amy Shannon Woodford

Created on: February 15, 2009   Last Updated: February 16, 2009

Onions are a staple in my kitchen, an ingredient I can't imagine cooking without. Though I have suffered the occasional tear from a strong onion, I've found that careful selection and the proper chopping technique can usually prevent undue suffering.

I've tried countless tips, from holding a piece of bread between my teeth to refrigerating the onion, but I've found nothing foolproof before my current method. First, buy only sweet onions; other varieties are higher in sulfur and more pungent. If you are partial to raw onions, you'll find that varieties like Vidalia or Texas sweet are better raw than purple or ordinary yellow varieties.

When buying sweet onions, make sure they are firm to pressure at the stem end. Onions become stronger and more bitter as they age, and sweet onions are especially susceptible to rot.

Never cut onions with a serrated knife, which not only will release more juices by damaging the onion membrane but also will tend to make the onion bruised and bitter. I dislike mechanical choppers because they have the same effect. With a sharp blade, slice both ends off the onion. Peel away the skin by hand; piercing the outer layer of the skin with a knife to peel is a sure way to release the onion's burning juices. Slice the onion horizontally from stem end to bottom into slices of desired thickness.

The next steps are the most crucial. Divide the onion slices in the middle and place each half of sliced onion with the center of the onion facing the cutting board. Cut the first stack of slices in half, making half-moon shaped stacks of onion slices. Then, place each half moon with the flat side facing away from you and slice from the centerpoint toward the edge of the onion, cutting off slivers of the desired size as if you were slicing pie pieces.

By doing this, you are cutting along the onion's rectangular cell structure. You will also be using the onion's layer structure to reduce the amount of actual chopping necessary, as the layers will separate with only one chop through a section of onion, rather than two as would otherwise be required.

You can use this method to chop finely or coarsely, depending on the size of your initial slices. Slicing the onion in half and chopping in this manner will yield curved onion slivers that will make an attractive garnish or a perfect addition to stir-fry. Even if sweet onions are unavailable or you prefer stronger varieties, following these instructions will minimize your tears.

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