[Roll Roll]

Come on then ladies, (and gentlemen)  it's bad enough with my eyes constantly streaming with hayfever let alone slicing onions.
 Now i've heard lots of old wives tales on how to prevent this, yet none of them seem to work. 

Who's got the answers? 

Is there one??

[PAULW]

Prepare them outside, I was slicing red onions in the kitchen it would have been less painfull to get an eyeful of pepper spray so I took them out in the garden and did them I usually prepare my shallots the same way.

[Ice]

There is no answer to this.  I even wore a snorkel and mask once because someone said it would work.  It didn't.

Learn how to chop them fast like they do on the tv, then leave the room for a couple of minutes.

[Remy]

a very sharp knife so you don't bruise the skin of the onion to much which causes the crying.
Peel them under water

[Ice]

Thing is Remy, you can't chop them under water.  All my knives are super sharp, blunt ones are a pain in the arris and bruise the onions releasing the juice as you say.

[barney rubble]

If you really want tears (and pain) try chilli peppers. Whatever you do don't rub your eyes after chopping them. The residue can still be there even after a good handwashing. If you're anything like me you won't stop blubbing for hours...its the sort of mistake or oversight you make once!

[SMD66]

just stand as far back as your arms will allow!

[BobandJack]

Cut them in half & rinse under the tap, I find that this works well enough, it seems to clear off enough of the liquid in between the layers which is what makes your eyes water for you then to be able to chop them ok. 
No Ice you can't chop them under water - obviously you'd drown  :blink:

[Ice]

Not with a snorkel and mask.

[hindy]

If you really want tears (and pain) try chilli peppers. Whatever you do don't rub your eyes after chopping them. The residue can still be there even after a good handwashing. If you're anything like me you won't stop blubbing for hours...its the sort of mistake or oversight you make once!

Horseradish is just as bad especially when you chop it with a hand blender   

[Farmers wife]

Hi all

Just pop your contact lenses in and hey presto no crying.......if you do not need contacts to correct your vision go for funky lenses, check them out on line!!!

[Trillium]

I use the diving mask and it works well for chopping a lot of onions. I feel a right prat when I do it but it does the job.

[Vi]

I use swimming goggles (same idea as the diving mask) i keep a pair in the kitchen drawer.  Looks funny but much more comfortable than stinging eyes

Speaking of chillies and pain though, I once de-seeded a bucket full of chillies without gloves.   felt like my hands were immersed in boiling water for at least the next 12 hours. Went to the hospital twice before they gave me some numbing cream I wont be doing that twice   I still have the dried chilli flakes though, hot stuff !

[BobandJack]

I'm sure I saw somewhere about rubbing cooking oil into your hands before preparing a lot of (or very very hot chillies) I think it was a cookery programme from Jamaica, it was supposed to make it harder for the chemical from the chillies to penetrate the skin.  Don't know whether it works or not though, maybe given your hands are a bit slippy you're so preoccupied with not slicing your fingers off you don't notice the chilli burn 

[catllar]

get someone else to do them?? Allegedly if you leave the root bit in place whilst chopping they dont make you cry so much - cant see what difference that would make, but then they dont really affect me much.