# Calling all Cooks: Shallot Question



## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

So last night I was chopping shallots for the first time. I'm familiar with onions, being an amateur home cook, and I know all about the burning eyes, and some of the tips to avoid it like not cutting the root. 

However when it was mincing shallots it was like somebody set of a chemical weapon in my kitchen! My eyes were watering and burning so badly that I couldn't see, and what's worse, I could feel it burning in my throat and it nearly made me gag. 

My question is, are Shallots ALWAYS this bad or did I end up with a bad one or what? There's a lot of recipes that require shallots and I don't know if I'll ever be able to use them again after that experience.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2009)

Shallots tend to release more concentrated fumes that cause the tearing. In addition to cutting from the stem end, there are some other basic steps you can use to cut down on the fumes:

1) Use a very sharp knife. The fumes that make you tear up are released when onion/shallot cells are ruptured. The sharper the knife, the less rupturing.

2) Cut near an open flame. The flame burns off some of the chemicals that cause tearing.

3) Chill your onion/shallot before preparing it.

4) Spritz your cutting board with a little vinegar. This helps neutralize some of the chemicals that create the sulfuric acid that causes the tears.

5) Work quickly.

Here is a fairly informative site: http://pinchmysalt.com/2007/10/24/how-to-cut-an-onion-with-fewer-tears-a-photo-tutorial/


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I was using my brand new chef's knives and cutting as fast as I could without injuring myself. I suppose I'll freeze them first or something.


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2009)

Mikuto said:


> I was using my brand new chef's knives and cutting as fast as I could without injuring myself. I suppose I'll freeze them first or something.


*DON'T* freeze them! It ruins the texture. But chilling them in the fridge or ice water for 30 minutes or so will reduce the tears. And don't forget the "open flame" tip if you have a gas stove.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I'm in an apartment building, I'm lucky I have a stove at all! It's just electric. I'll try chilling them in the fridge next time. I'm considering a pair of safety goggles!


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## Guest (Jan 13, 2009)

Mikuto said:


> I'm in an apartment building, I'm lucky I have a stove at all! It's just electric. I'll try chilling them in the fridge next time. I'm considering a pair of safety goggles!


I've never used the vinegar tip myself, but I've heard about it for years. It's probably worth a try.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

It sounds like it's worth trying. I only have balsamic, but it wouldn't be hard to pick up some regular old white vinegar and spray my cutting board before chopping. 

Should I use a plain old chef's knife instead of my Santoku? They're sharp as could be, but serrated, so that could make a difference.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Use the chef's knife. You shouldn't try to chop vegetables with a serrated knife.

L


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I wouldn't normally, but the Santoku is brand new and super sharp. Very fine serrations too, not like a bread knife. It's a general purpose knife, but I've found it really good for vegetables. I don't so much chop though, I slice cause I'm afraid I'm going to get stuff everyone if I chop...


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Onions and shallots never bother me, that is one advantage to wearing glasses.  Also I chop fast, breath through my mouth, and have them cold then I chop them.  I'm not really sure why the mouth breathing helps but it does, I learned that from my grandmother. 

A Santoku isn't really serrated, it just has in indentations so things don't stick, I use it for onions and shallots.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I use my santoku for onions too, and I notice a lot less tearing, mostly because it's so much . I wear glasses too but it doesn't seem to help with the shallots!

I have a lower end Santoku knife, with "micro-serrations".  I probably need to invest in one that's not serrated.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> I use my santoku for onions too, and I notice a lot less tearing, mostly because it's so much . I wear glasses too but it doesn't seem to help with the shallots!
> 
> I have a lower end Santoku knife, with "micro-serrations".  I probably need to invest in one that's not serrated.


You may have had a bad shallot. I have a Wusthof.


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

It's possible, my roomie says that onions and shallots get stronger the longer they're stored, it might have just been old. However I'm planning on investing in a non-serrated santoku for the delicate stuff like onions, so we'll have to see if that helps.


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Are you sure they were really shallots and not just green onions or god forbid ramps?


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## Mikuto (Oct 30, 2008)

I got them from Trader Joe's, in a little package that said "shallots". They were much smaller than your average onion, one of them was sort of segmented like a clove of garlic, and they were purplish in color after I removed the peach skin.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

Mikuto said:


> I got them from Trader Joe's, in a little package that said "shallots". They were much smaller than your average onion, one of them was sort of segmented like a clove of garlic, and they were purplish in color after I removed the peach skin.


Sounds like a shallot. I've never had the problem you described. Maybe as someone else said, they were old. And seeing the picture of your knife...that should be okay. I thought you meant really serrated, like a bread knife.

L


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## bosslady402 (Nov 6, 2008)

discovery channel trivia - onions make your eyes water because they emit sulfer, which mixes with the water in your eyes to make sulfuric acid.  

yum!


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

My favorite knives are ceramic.  I have a chef's knife style and a paring knife.  They are wicked sharp. . . work great on all vegies, especially tomatoes which you need a really sharp knife to slice or dice without squishing.  Also good on meat but you need to be careful around bones so you don't nick the blade.  They also worked well on the shallots we had in something last month.  Don't recall any particular tearing issues. . .but I agree with those who suggest the faster they are cut the less problem you should have.

Ann


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> My favorite knives are ceramic.


Mine too! I almost cut off a finger with the chef's knife.... Mine is made by Kyocera.

I've noticed that the onions have gotten much sharper over the past few years.... They all burn my eyes, even though I keep them in the fridge.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

pidgeon92 said:


> Mine too! I almost cut off a finger with the chef's knife.... Mine is made by Kyocera.


I think that's what mine are too. I got 'em at the Smokey Mountain Knife Works. Got the paring knife about 3 years ago when we were in Gatlinburg for a family reunion. . .one of DH's brothers had gotten one and I liked how it worked. Liked the paring knife so well that when we were back last summer I got the chef's knife. They're no more expensive than good quality steel knives and I really like how they work.

Ann


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## Gables Girl (Oct 28, 2008)

Ann Von Hagel said:


> My favorite knives are ceramic. I have a chef's knife style and a paring knife. They are wicked sharp. . . work great on all vegies, especially tomatoes which you need a really sharp knife to slice or dice without squishing. Also good on meat but you need to be careful around bones so you don't nick the blade. They also worked well on the shallots we had in something last month. Don't recall any particular tearing issues. . .but I agree with those who suggest the faster they are cut the less problem you should have.
> 
> Ann


Okay I'm a klutz, but if you drop a ceramic knife it is toast, a steel one you may knock the edge off but it can be resharpened. I dropped a ceramic knife and swept up the pieces, so I'll stick to steel.

I think we have gotten used to the sweet onions and so the real thing seems more pungent.


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## pidgeon92 (Oct 27, 2008)

I only buy sweet onions and they have been murder lately.

I dropped my ceramic knife, it has a little chip in it. I've had it almost a year, still sharp as ever. It is not my only knife, but it is my favorite one for cutting vegetables.


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I buy Victoronix (sp?) knives and am very happy with them. They are the folks who make Swiss Army Knives. They also make cooking knives. The handles are plastic so they are much cheaper than many others but I have found the quality is great. My 2 cents.

L


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## katiekat1066 (Nov 19, 2008)

I have a lot of expensive knives, but my current favorite is by Cuisinart (of all companies) and was really inexpensive at Macy's. http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=202531&CategoryID=31762&LinkType=SiteAd&LinkLoc=7497&AdID=500712 Actually there are two of them, a small and a large santoku style knife. My other favorite is a small chef's knife by Sabatier-K, a french company. http://www.sabatier-shop.com/index.php?rt75=44&wx=97&gclid=CK7gq9KAjpgCFQu-GgodkVhxDw There is a little outlet store in South Carolina on the way from the interstate to Parris Island, we stopped there from curiosity when my step-daughter graduated from boot camp, and ended up spending a bunch of money. I'm lucky in that my SO has the tools and knowledge to sharpen our knives himself, no waiting for one of those traveling sharpeners to come around!

Katiekat


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## Leslie (Apr 7, 2008)

I have heard -- but I have never done this -- that you can take your knives to the grocery store and the butcher will sharpen them. Anyone ever tried this?

L


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Here's a method I've never seen.  

Microwave Method

   1. Cut the ends off. You know what happens when you start removing the layers of skin on the onion. The tears flow. Well don't remove the skin. Neatly cut the ends off of the onion. Pierce the skin of the onion several times with a tooth pick.
   2. Place the onion on a paper towel inside your microwave.
   3. Heat on high for 60 seconds.
   4. Slice your onion. Remove from microwave and peel. The skin will now easily remove. Chop as desired without tears.

Reading this over, it sounds like you should slice the onion while still in the micro.  

I've always made sure my onions were cold before slicing.  It used to work, but doesn't anymore.  I don't know if that's because onions or more pungent or because as I get older, my eyes water more.


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## chynared21 (Oct 28, 2008)

*I've never had a problem with shallots before...though I have noticed that the "older" things are, the more pungent they are. I keep my onions in the fridge but I do give them a rinse after that first cut...it does help.*


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