Chopping onions is hard when compared to other vegetables. Many cannot help crying when chopping onions. This could be a risk. You might get eye irritation and lose sight. Also, you may hurt your fingers if you use a sharp knife.
To avoid the misery of teary eyes while chopping onions, you can take a little help from your food processor. It is way easier and a quick process too. Try not to store the chopped onion because the taste of the onion might change as time passes. Instead, use freshly chopped onions in your dishes, as they are much healthier and taste yummy.
Firstly, clean the onions before you put them into a food processor. Put them in water for 3 to 5 mins so that you can easily peel the top off. We will never know how they are produced or shipped to your doorstep. So it will be wiser to clean them first. Remove the first layer after you wash them. Now let’s see how to chop onions in a food processor below:
- Peel the top layer of the onion completely and dice it into four pieces from the center. Using a sharp knife will finish the process quickly.
- Open the food processor and fix an S blade into it. Make sure it is fixed properly and rotates in anti-clockwise.
- After the blade is fixed in its place, test for its function without adding any ingredients to it. This will ensure it is properly fixed.
- Only put two diced pieces on each side of the blade.
- Fix back the lid and rotate until the top of the processor is fixed with the motor. This might be different according to the models of food processors. Some might just need a press, while some needs to be clipped in.
- With short bursts, start chopping the onion, then increase the pulse according to the size of the onion you desire.
- Once you have the onion chopped to your desired level, stop the food processor.
- Switch off the processor and scoop all the chopped onion into a bowl.
- Then twist the blade clockwise to remove it from the processor and wash it.
- Be careful while handling blades because they are sharp enough to slit through your fingers.
- Do not over-chop the onion in the processor because it might get bitter sometimes.
The only way to store chopped onions in your refrigerator is by putting them in an airtight container or a resealable bag. Many say this might attract toxins if placed in a fridge, but it is only a myth. But the taste might get bitter; sometimes, it is completely okay to store for up to 10 days.
Using a food processor can give you the best outcome while cooking because it will chop the food in the same size. This will look so pleasing to the eye too. Just take time to assemble the blade properly in the food processor.
Speaking of facts, onions will have lots of water in them. After chopping the onion, it will release a lot of water which will be enough to grind or chop the onion. Although some pieces might get stuck under the blade, you can add some water just to lubricate it. You can add it as per the consistency you require.
Adding a whole onion to a food processor might save you from teary eyes, but we would not suggest you do it. The large size of the onion might stop the blades from working efficiently. And might stop the motor in the food processor too. To avoid it, we suggest you dice the onions into four or five pieces before adding them to the food processor.
Onions usually take in sulfur from the earth while growing. This produces a complex in the vegetable, which is called amino sulfoxide. This will release an enzyme released as soon as you scrape or chop the onion. This will react with the receptors in the eye, which will cause you tears. To avoid excessive tearing and irritation of the eyes, you can try chilling the onion for some minutes before you cut it. You can use Google or eye shields while chopping to prevent crying too.
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0Oa_7v8lfk
2. https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/static_assets/pdf/KA/food-processor/FoodPro_EN.pdf