Product Review: Onion Goggles

Please, stop crying. I hate to see grown men crying. Oh am I talking about myself again, sorry.

When I cut into an onion my eyes immediately start to tear and burn. Sometimes it gets so bad I have to stop and go outside until my eyes stop burning. I feel like someone shot tear gas into my kitchen.

Editors Note: Unless you're a chef with a freshly broken heart, the tears you shed when chopping onions aren't emotional ones… The lachrymal glands above the eyelids regulate the release of tears. In the case of reflex crying, an external irritant, such as onions, dust or smoke, triggers nerve endings in the cornea to communicate with the brain stem. The brain registers the irritation in the eye then alerts the lachrymal gland to stimulate tear production to flush away the invader. You are not a wuss if you tear when you cut onions.

If we're chopping onions a few feet away from our eyes, what's causing this weepy reaction? The answer begins in the soil. Onions are part of the plant genus Allium, along with garlic, chives, leeks and about 400 other cousins. These vegetables absorb sulfur in the earth, which helps form a class of volatile organic molecules called amino acid sulfoxides. These sulfoxides are the real tear-jerkers when onions go under the knife. – TLC Cooking “Why do Onions Make you Cry?”

I’m sure that many of you have experienced the pain and suffering when chopping onions, especially if you mince the onions. You could chop the onions outside but that’s not very convenient or comfortable. What then are your alternatives?

Every year I exchange stocking stuffers with my sisters and their spouses. The gift has to be small and be relevant to the person you are giving to. My wife always gets cows because her maiden name, Lavacca, means “the cow”. I usually get kitchen gagets. Two years ago my sister bought me Onion Goggles^® by RSVP. They run about $20 and they are amazing. They completely block out the amino acid sulfoxides that irritate the eyes and they are comfortable. The only drawback is if you wear glasses like I do. The onion goggles will not fit over your glasses. Luckily for me I can see well enough that I won’t cut off my fingers when I’m dicing onions.

Product Rating: ★★★★★