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I've seen several people make a mess of cutting onions, and suffer from their lachrymatory effects. Why do people make and buy vegetable choppers? - Because a lot of people don't know how to cut them properly.
Cutting veg' needn't be difficult, it can be easy.
You need a good sharp knife.
It's worth having even only one knife with a decent stiff blade that can be resharpened. I found a Sabatier 3-pack on a market for 15 pounds (bargain!) I won't claim that Sabatier are the best, but they're good enough. If your knife isn't sharp you'll have trouble using it. Blunt knives are for spreading butter and such, not vegetable preparation.
(If you watch the videos, with their cheesy-tunes, notice how easily the knife goes through the onions - little force needed)
You also need a good solid surface to work on, I'm sure you know what a chopping board looks like, mine is made of wood.
Onions
If you have the option, choose onions which are hard / firm, softness is not good in onions.
Good onions should have little or no smell (before you peel them) - if they smell, they're not good.
Also check for visible signs of damage, if stored properly, onions should be dry on the outside and free from mould.
(I was a bit shaky due to illness, but I managed not to slice myself)
Cutting veg' needn't be difficult, it can be easy.
You need a good sharp knife.
It's worth having even only one knife with a decent stiff blade that can be resharpened. I found a Sabatier 3-pack on a market for 15 pounds (bargain!) I won't claim that Sabatier are the best, but they're good enough. If your knife isn't sharp you'll have trouble using it. Blunt knives are for spreading butter and such, not vegetable preparation.
(If you watch the videos, with their cheesy-tunes, notice how easily the knife goes through the onions - little force needed)
You also need a good solid surface to work on, I'm sure you know what a chopping board looks like, mine is made of wood.
Onions
If you have the option, choose onions which are hard / firm, softness is not good in onions.
Good onions should have little or no smell (before you peel them) - if they smell, they're not good.
Also check for visible signs of damage, if stored properly, onions should be dry on the outside and free from mould.
(I was a bit shaky due to illness, but I managed not to slice myself)
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Signing UpStep 1Peeling
Pull off the outer layers, the brown papery bits.
Look at what you have underneath, if it's still brown, or yellow, dried, tough, soggy, mouldy - keep peeling.
Peel the onions down to firm white flesh, which is thick and juicy-looking. If you've picked good onions you shouldn't have a lot of peeling to do.
Cut the top off back to where the onion looks good to eat (as above)
Cut the root base off flush to the rest of the onion, but no more. Don't take a slice off the bottom, because this bit will hold the rest together while you're cutting it.
In the video you see me cutting towards my thumb. Notice that this is a one handed action, I cannot put much force on the knife and I have a lot of control over the blade. It's hard to cut yourself in this way.
Look at what you have underneath, if it's still brown, or yellow, dried, tough, soggy, mouldy - keep peeling.
Peel the onions down to firm white flesh, which is thick and juicy-looking. If you've picked good onions you shouldn't have a lot of peeling to do.
Cut the top off back to where the onion looks good to eat (as above)
Cut the root base off flush to the rest of the onion, but no more. Don't take a slice off the bottom, because this bit will hold the rest together while you're cutting it.
In the video you see me cutting towards my thumb. Notice that this is a one handed action, I cannot put much force on the knife and I have a lot of control over the blade. It's hard to cut yourself in this way.
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I don't caramelize onions, I sexify them.=, what great camp memories...
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