Handling Onions

Onions, like any veggie or fruit, have their season, and you will find that they are cheaper in the stores during certain times of the year. If you buy onions in bulk, you save money—but what to do with the onions you won't use right away? Just chop and prepare them as if you were doing so for a meal, then place the pieces in a zipper bag and stick them in the freezer. There's no need to defrost them before adding them to a skillet or cooking pot. You will save not only money, but time when it comes to making the meal that needs the onions later.

No doubt you are aware that the fumes from an onion cause your eyes to water while you're chopping it into pieces. There are several ways to stop tears flowing when chopping onions, though:

• Freeze the onions for about fifteen minutes before you slice them. The cold will keep the eye-watering fumes at a minimum.
• Light a candle next to your work area before you begin slicing your onions. The gasses that make your eyes water will burn off before they reach you.
• Push a small slice of bread onto the point of your knife and carefully work it down toward the handle. Now when you cut your onion, the bread will absorb the fumes that bring tears to your eyes.
• Try slicing the onion under running water into a colander in your sink. The running water will actually absorb the odor and make for a less tearful day. (This one's a little trickier than the others—be extra careful when handling your knife under the water!)

Do you love the taste of onion in your food, but you could do without that lingering scent on your hands? Remove that onion stench by rubbing your hands with salt before you wash them. The smell should vanish into thin air!