Q: How do I tell the good onions from the bad? No matter what type of onions you choose, make sure that they are firm to the touch when you buy them If they give even a little bit—particularly at the root or stem end—there’s a good chance some of the interior layers may have begun to rot Q: Where’s the best place to store them? Store onions in a cool, dry, dark place, never in a sealed container, which can trap moisture, leading to mold and rot I keep mine in a Chinese bamboo steamer Half-used onions can be placed in a plastic bag in the refrigerator Just use them within a few days Q: I’ve noticed that, like grandmothers and movie theaters, some onions smell more than others Is there a way to know before I buy? How much an onion smells is largely dependent on how long it’s been stored The longer onions have been in storage (in some cases, up to months), the more pungent they’ll be Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to tell, as they don’t come with a date on the label Generally, older onions have thicker, tougher skins, while newer onions will have thinner papery skins But it’s not like you have a choice anyway—markets don’t offer “old onions” and “new onions.” The unfortunate answer is that with onions, you’ve got to play the hand you’re dealt But we’ve got a few tricks for dealing with them in our arsenal Read on Q: What is it that makes onions smell, anyway? My favorite Calvin and Hobbes strip is the one where Calvin walks into the kitchen and sees his mom crying while cutting an onion He walks away mumbling, “It must be hard to cook when you anthropomorphize all your vegetables.” Classic But there’s a very real reason we cry when onions are cut into: defense Onions take up sulfur from the soil as they grow, storing it within larger molecules in their cells Separately, they store an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction that breaks these larger molecules down into pungent, irritating sulfurous compounds Only after the onion’s cells are damaged by chopping or crushing the precursors and enzyme mix, producing what are called lachrymators, the compounds that attack nerves in our eyes and nose, causing us to tear up and sneeze Nature at its most defensive! That’s why an uncut onion will have very little aroma, but as soon as you slice it, the smell begins to permeate the room Q: Those lachrymators really get my tears flowing Anything I can do to help it? There’s no shortage of home remedies that are claimed to suppress or minimize tearing up: Light a ... anthropomorphize all your vegetables.” Classic But there’s a very real reason we cry when onions are cut into: defense Onions take up sulfur from the soil as they grow, storing it within larger molecules in their cells Separately, they store... aroma, but as soon as you slice it, the smell begins to permeate the room Q: Those lachrymators really get my tears flowing Anything I can do to help it? There’s no shortage of home remedies that are claimed... catalyzes a reaction that breaks these larger molecules down into pungent, irritating sulfurous compounds Only after the onion’s cells are damaged by chopping or crushing the precursors and enzyme mix,