Thread: Cut onions left in refrigirator dangerous ???

ffu wrote:

snip...
> First stop Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cutonions.asp ,
> where I found that the email has been circulating since March 2008. According
> to Snopes.com it was penned by Sarah McCann, who writes
> http://www.dinnerwithzola.com/
>
> Ms. McCann should know that onions are very acidic and the cutting of an onion
> causes enzymes they contain to generate sulphenic acid
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfenic_acid , so it's hard to understand how
> cut onions could be a place for germs or bacteria to take up residence.

Thanks for posting this. They say if you cut an onion from pole to
pole, it releases less sulfenic acid. That helps when you have to cut
up a lot of onions.


Becca

"Becca" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> ffu wrote:
>
> snip...
>> First stop Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cutonions.asp ,
>> where I found that the email has been circulating since March 2008.
>> According
>> to Snopes.com it was penned by Sarah McCann, who writes
>> http://www.dinnerwithzola.com/
>>
>> Ms. McCann should know that onions are very acidic and the cutting of an
>> onion
>> causes enzymes they contain to generate sulphenic acid
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfenic_acid , so it's hard to understand
>> how
>> cut onions could be a place for germs or bacteria to take up residence.
>
> Thanks for posting this. They say if you cut an onion from pole to pole,
> it releases less sulfenic acid. That helps when you have to cut up a lot
> of onions.
>
>
I'd have been long dead if this were the case. I do this routinely. lol

Debbie

On Dec 30, 4:13*pm, "Debbie" <MollyMoll...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> "Becca" <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]..
>
> > ffu wrote:
>
> > snip...
> >> First stop Snopes.com *http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cutonions.asp,
> >> where I found that the email has been circulating since March 2008.
> >> According
> >> to Snopes.com it was penned by Sarah McCann, who writes
> >>http://www.dinnerwithzola.com/
>
> >> Ms. McCann should know that onions are very acidic and the cutting of an
> >> onion
> >> causes enzymes they contain to generate sulphenic acid
> >>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfenic_acid, *so it's hard to understand
> >> how
> >> cut onions could be a place for germs or bacteria to take up residence..
>
> > Thanks for posting this. *They say if you cut an onion from pole to pole,
> > it releases less sulfenic acid. *That helps when you have to cut up alot
> > of onions.
>
> I'd have been long dead if this were the case. *I do this routinely. lol
>
> Debbie

Same here.....been doing it for over 40 years. I also climb trees and
run with scissors.

On Dec 30, 7:15*pm, Chemo the Clown <an...@peak.org> wrote:
> On Dec 30, 4:13*pm, "Debbie" <MollyMoll...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > "Becca" <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote in message

> Same here.....been doing it for over 40 years. I also climb trees and
> run with scissors.

Don't you come running to me if you fall out of that tree!!

Feliz Año Nuevo!

Brawny wrote:
> On Dec 30, 7:15 pm, Chemo the Clown <an...@peak.org> wrote:
>> On Dec 30, 4:13 pm, "Debbie" <MollyMoll...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> "Becca" <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote in message
>
>> Same here.....been doing it for over 40 years. I also climb trees and
>> run with scissors.
>
> Don't you come running to me if you fall out of that tree!!
>
> Feliz Año Nuevo!


Shouldn't that be "Don't come running to me if you fall out of
the tree and break both legs." ?

gloria p

In article <hhh2l2$cd9$[email protected]>,
"gloria.p" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Brawny wrote:
> > On Dec 30, 7:15 pm, Chemo the Clown <an...@peak.org> wrote:
> >> On Dec 30, 4:13 pm, "Debbie" <MollyMoll...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> "Becca" <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote in message
> >
> >> Same here.....been doing it for over 40 years. I also climb trees and
> >> run with scissors.
> >
> > Don't you come running to me if you fall out of that tree!!
> >
> > Feliz Año Nuevo!
>
>
> Shouldn't that be "Don't come running to me if you fall out of
> the tree and break both legs." ?
>

No. It should be

"Don't come running to me if you fall out of the tree onto those
scissors."

Isaac

gloria.p wrote:

> Shouldn't that be "Don't come running to me if you fall out of the
> tree and break both legs." ?
>
> gloria p

My mother used to say, "Don't come running to me if you fall and break a
leg!", so I said the same thing to my children. I should ask her if she
learned that from her mother.


Becca

On Dec 31, 7:55*am, Becca <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote:
> gloria.p wrote:
> > Shouldn't that be "Don't come running to me if you fall out of the
> > tree and break both legs." *?
>
> > gloria p
>
> My mother used to say, "Don't come running to me if you fall and break a
> leg!", so I said the same thing to my children. *I should ask her if she
> learned that from her mother.

It'd be nigh on impossible to run on a broken leg.
>
> Becca

--Bryan

--Bryan wrote:
> On Dec 31, 7:55 am, Becca <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote:
>
>> My mother used to say, "Don't come running to me if you fall and break a leg!", so I said the same thing to my children. I should ask her if she learned that from her mother.
>>
>
> It'd be nigh on impossible to run on a broken leg.
> --Bryan

Yep, that is what made it so amusing. :-)


Becca

On Dec 30, 6:35*pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Brawny wrote:
> > On Dec 30, 7:15 pm, Chemo the Clown <an...@peak.org> wrote:
> >> On Dec 30, 4:13 pm, "Debbie" <MollyMoll...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >>> "Becca" <be...@hal-pc.org> wrote in message
>
> >> Same here.....been doing it for over 40 years. I also climb trees and
> >> run with scissors.
>
> > Don't you come running to me if you fall out of that tree!!
>
> > Feliz Año Nuevo!
>
> Shouldn't that be "Don't come running to me if you fall out of
> the tree and break both legs." *?
>
> gloria p

Well, my mom always said, "don't fall out of that tree and break your
neck".

In article <[email protected]>,
ffu <[email protected]> wrote:

> I received an email yesterday that stated cut onions left in the refrigerator
> in a ziplock baggy were dangerous and could make you sick. So I decided to
> find
> out the source of the email as it was non descript with no links to provide
> proof.
>
> First stop Snopes.com http://www.snopes.com/food/tainted/cutonions.asp ,
> where I found that the email has been circulating since March 2008. According
> to Snopes.com it was penned by Sarah McCann, who writes
> http://www.dinnerwithzola.com/
>
> Ms. McCann should know that onions are very acidic and the cutting of an
> onion
> causes enzymes they contain to generate sulphenic acid
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sulfenic_acid , so it's hard to understand how
> cut onions could be a place for germs or bacteria to take up residence.
>
> I think she should stick with what she does best, and not write erroneous
> articles. As well she should have someone fix her website as there is coding
> clearly showing on the page which is considered very unprofessional.

Moral of story: Do not believe everything you read on the internet.
And I'd believe even less posted on "sci.medicine.nutrition" (quotes
there on purpose).

Cindy

--
C.J. Fuller

Delete the obvious to email me

Don't come running with scissors to me if you fall out of that leg
tree and break both of your necks...


How does the cutting from pole to pole release less acid?

Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
when I do that.

Onions are a few of my favourite things.

-J

phaeton wrote:
>
> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
> fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
> when I do that.

I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
Lidia warns that can make them mealy.

I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
with room-temperature onions.

On Jan 1, 2:36*pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
> phaeton wrote:
>
> > Also, this is a relief. *I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
> > fridge for later. *It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
> > when I do that.
>
> I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
> about food safety. *I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
> Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>
> I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
> the familiar tearing phenomenon. *That only happens
> with room-temperature onions.

Hmm... I'll have to try slicing one cold.

I too am anal about food safety. I'm getting better about it, but for
some things I guess I'm pretty lax. With potatoes, as long as they're
not green or squishy I don't worry about them much. My #1 use for
them is to make mashed, so I figure the boiling for 20 minutes will
certainly take care of any bacteria issues.

Speaking of which, this thread reminds me of when Rachel Ray was
telling a call-in-questioner that "eating green potatoes is fine, it
just makes them a little bitter".

-J

phaeton wrote on Fri, 1 Jan 2010 12:40:43 -0800 (PST):

> On Jan 1, 2:36 pm, Mark Thorson <nos...@sonic.net> wrote:
>> phaeton wrote:
>>
> >> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put
> >> them in the fridge for later. It seems to make them
> >> 'stronger' and more 'oniony' when I do that.
>>
>> I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
>> about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
>> Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>>
>> I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
>> the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
>> with room-temperature onions.

> Hmm... I'll have to try slicing one cold.

> I too am anal about food safety. I'm getting better about it,
> but for some things I guess I'm pretty lax. With potatoes, as
> long as they're not green or squishy I don't worry about them
> much. My #1 use for them is to make mashed, so I figure the
> boiling for 20 minutes will certainly take care of any
> bacteria issues.

> Speaking of which, this thread reminds me of when Rachel Ray
> was telling a call-in-questioner that "eating green potatoes
> is fine, it just makes them a little bitter".

The green is actually chlorophyll but it does indicate that the
poisonous alkaloid solanine will be present. It is unlikely that you
will ingest enough for it to be dangerous but the potatoes don't taste
very good.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"Mark Thorson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]..
> phaeton wrote:
>>
>> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
>> fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
>> when I do that.
>
> I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
> about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
> Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>
> I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
> the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
> with room-temperature onions.

Well, if we're going to talk tearing, I swear that singing loudly and
continuously while chopping prevents tears. YMMV.

Felice

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:36:45 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:

>phaeton wrote:
>>
>> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
>> fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
>> when I do that.
>
>I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
>about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
>Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>
>I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
>the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
>with room-temperature onions.

That's why I put onions in the freezer half an hour before I need to cut them.

On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 16:07:11 -0600, ffu <[email protected]> wrote:

>On Fri, 01 Jan 2010 12:36:45 -0800, Mark Thorson <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>phaeton wrote:
>>>
>>> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
>>> fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
>>> when I do that.
>>
>>I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
>>about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
>>Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>>
>>I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
>>the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
>>with room-temperature onions.
>
>That's why I put onions in the freezer half an hour before I need to cut them.

I've always kept onions in the fridge... potatoes too. Cold makes
potatoes turn sweet, but I don't buy so many that I have that problem,
I rarely have any more than a week. I buy produce in small
quantities, they sell it all the time. It's cheaper to buy smaller
quantities then larger and have a bunch go bad before you get to use
them.

On Fri, 1 Jan 2010 16:00:27 -0500, Felice wrote:

> "Mark Thorson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]..
>> phaeton wrote:
>>>
>>> Also, this is a relief. I routinely cut onions up and put them in the
>>> fridge for later. It seems to make them 'stronger' and more 'oniony'
>>> when I do that.
>>
>> I refrigerate onions, but only because I'm a little anal
>> about food safety. I refrigerate potatoes too, even though
>> Lidia warns that can make them mealy.
>>
>> I've noticed, however, that cold onions do not cause
>> the familiar tearing phenomenon. That only happens
>> with room-temperature onions.
>
> Well, if we're going to talk tearing, I swear that singing loudly and
> continuously while chopping prevents tears. YMMV.
>
> Felice

the mental image this evokes is delightful. is there a recommended tune?

your pal,
blake