Lifehacker has tested various methods alleged to reduce tearing and eye burning when you cut onions, and they have a few winners.
Some methods worked a bit, and some worked not at all.
The two methods that worked well and weren’t terribly inconvenient were turning on the stove fan and cutting underneath it, and wearing special onion goggles while cutting. Freezing also worked, but seems like a pretty inconvenient and difficult way to go.
What didn’t work?
- Lighting a candle.
- Holding your mouth a certain way.
- Chewing gum.
Some methods kind of worked, but are not advisable for one reason or another, such as keeping onions in the fridge (which could cause other food to spoil more quickly) and cutting under running water (which is apparently more difficult than it sounds).