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'Tear-Free' Onion in the Works
RedWolves2 writes "CNN has an article about how scientists in Japan may have discovered a way to make onions easy on the eyes without taking away from the taste. My grandfather always used to tell me to eat onions because it would put hair on my chest (oh how he was right). I wonder if this new 'tear-free' onion would work in the same way?"
This seems to me is a whole lot of effort and resources allocated on something quiet irrelavent.
There are already several well-known tricks that solve the onion slicing problem quiet well. Is it really neccessary to temper with onion's genetic makeup, and risk eating something that may have unforeseen effects?
Genetically alter a produce to increase production and solve femine, I can understand, but just to make tear-free onions?
PS:personally I go with a sharp knife for dicing onions. Works like a charm for me as long as I don't rub my eye while slicing them.
I'm not against Genetically altered food, if it offers something legititely _good, such as rice modified to have vitamin C or A, or what have you. But a tearless onion? Will we be altering lemons, so the juice doesn't sting? A themepark filled with dinosaurs?
I suppose what I find so worrisome is the casual modification of genetic material currently going on in the laboratories of the world.
But then, Pinky and the brain was pretty funny.
"Inattention makes clowns of us all" -Bean
I'm not against Genetically altered food, if it offers something legititely _good, such as rice modified to have vitamin C or A, or what have you.
The only thing you have to worry about is that most companies selling GM seeds make the plants unable to pass the modification on to future generations of seeds. This can be a problem if good, freely available species of plants get diluted or lost, and later the GM seeds become unavailable. You should necissarily have to worry about using GM foods, but you should be aware of the practices of the companies you are buying such foods from. The food itself may be better, but the overall situation may not be in your best interests.
i cut a lot of onions (?) every week and after a while you get used to it. the problem is that when you cut the part of the onion with the roots sticking out the onion releases a chemical that (i'm told) is converted to sulfuric acid in your eye. it's not a lot of acid but enough to burn. but somehow i have become immune to the stuff.
anyway, the best way to prevent crying when cutting onions is to refridgerate them before cutting -- i guess this keeps the nasty chemicals from being so volitile when you cut them.
if that doesn't work wear swim goggles.
fear is the mind killer