For crying out loud

    

     Ever wonder why you cry when you're cutting onions?  There's a simple scientific answer to that age old question, it turns out.  The sulfur-containing compound, syn-propanethiol S-oxide, that gives onions their characteristic flavor and odor are also what causes our eyes to burn.  Once an onion is sliced volatile sulfur compounds are released in the form of enzymatic gases that react with the water in our eyes, our tears, and becomes sulfuric acid, a caustic, burning irritant, which then causes more tears to be produced.

     Most of the afore mentioned compounds are concentrated in the root end of an onion.  So slicing and chopping while leaving the root as intact as possible helps keep the tears at bay.  There are other ways to diminish the effect of the sulfuric gas and they include refrigerating the onion for about a half hour before slicing to slow down the chemical reaction.  And another possibility is to cut the onion under water, which doesn't strike me as being very practical.  And if you're into kitchen gadgets you can always purchase a pair of onion glasses to protect your eyes.

     And what about the smell that's left on your fingers after the onions are chopped?  You can remedy that with another chemical process.  Simply wipe your fingers on stainless steel to neutralize the odor of the onions!