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Scientists reveal the best way to cut onions without tears

Mark Frauenfelder
May 20, 2025
∙ Paid

husjur02/shutterstock.com

If your eyes water while cutting onions, blame syn-propanethial-S-oxide. It's the irritating compound that's released in the form of droplets when a knife blade slices through the bulb. The reason your eyes tear up is to prevent the compound from destroying cells in your eyes. So, tricks like putting a spoon in your mouth to pre…

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