French onion soup and slicing onions

**Dancing Lotus** · 01-01-2009, 05:46 PM

Do you make French onion soup? I do. I like to save broth from a roast to use as my soup base. When I see a good deal on onions I make soup.
My special ingredients include beer and brown sugar. It's a frugal and delicious meal.

The problem: I CAN NOT STAND TO CUT ONIONS! Why do they bother me so much.? Am I the only one who runs from the room in tears? Wow, it is like tear gas to me. Someone please tell me that there is a trick that works. I just sliced three pounds of onions 20 minutes ago and my eyes are still burning fire.

**LastDragonfly** · 01-01-2009, 05:52 PM

Originally Posted by AnnK

Do you make French onion soup? I do. I like to save broth from a roast to use as my soup base. When I see a good deal on onions I make soup.
My special ingredients include beer and brown sugar. It's a frugal and delicious meal.

The problem: I CAN NOT STAND TO CUT ONIONS! Why do they bother me so much.? Am I the only one who runs from the room in tears? Wow, it is like tear gas to me. Someone please tell me that there is a trick that works. I just sliced three pounds of onions 20 minutes ago and my eyes are still burning fire.

I have to litterally cut the onions under running water. It lessens the tears for me.

**elphie** · 01-01-2009, 06:26 PM

I have this same issue and even running water doesn't seem to help me all that much- I think some people are just more sensitive than others. I had to invest in a food processor with a slicing blade. I can only chop and slice onions with my food processor.

**JerryG** · 01-01-2009, 07:10 PM

I do not make french onion soup altho my son LOVES it and I need to learn how. Can you share your recipe??

I too suffer from the weeping. I've answered the phone whilst cutting onions, sobbing, and my sis on the other end was so alarmed wanted to know WTH??

I've seen the goggles that you can wear - um, I have to wear construction goggles and um, no. I've tried the "tie a wet rag over your mouth and nose" method, and um, no. I'm just trapped in onion smelling fumes.

I keep my onions in the frig till the very last minute. Take them out and as I "skin" them and start to chop, the garbage goes immediately into the garbage (outside of smell zone) and the cuttings go into a bowl beyond arm's reach.

I run my hands over my stainless steel sink ASAP when I'm done and it really does cut down on the smell on my hands. Same for the knife before I wash it otherwise, the sponge smells like onion too.

Please do share the recipe. Good luck. My method works very well on small amounts.

**Edna_E** · 01-13-2009, 02:44 PM

I have a friend who swears by the goggles. I cut from the stem end first, and don't have trouble. I have run into one person who is convinced that the problem actually begins in his nose, so he wears one of those disposable dust masks over his nose and mouth and does not tear from his eyes - go figure.