Widely used in cuisines throughout the world from South African to soul food, onions are famously pungent thanks to the high amount of sulfur in them. This gives them their characteristic harsh taste and the ability to make a grown man cry while cutting them. Both effects can be reduced, however, using water.
Just like submerging them in cold water can help you chop onions without crying, water also helps to get rid of that harsh taste. If you love making a great burger topped with some onions but don’t love the bad breath that comes with it, or if you simply don’t like that much “bite,” there’s an easy trick you can follow.
All you have to do is leave your onions in a chilled bowl of water for five to 15 minutes after you’re done chopping them up. This will help get rid of some of that pungent flavor, making your onions more enjoyable for you and less of a pain for anyone sitting next to you afterward. This easy but game-changing secret is just one of the savvy kitchen hacks we learned from our parents.
By Syjil Ashraf
