If chopping onions these days has left you wanting like an emotional wreck, you possibly can blame the climate.
The record-breaking heatwave that hit Britain in the summertime, particularly in late August and early September, has produced a very sturdy and tear-jerking harvest.
Onions have a defence mechanism that protects them from passing predators, equivalent to mice or bugs, who would possibly in any other case have had a nibble.
When broken, they launch sulphuric compounds known as synpropanethial-S-oxide to create nature’s model of tear fuel.
Onions have a defence mechanism that protects them from passing predators, equivalent to mice or bugs
The record-breaking heatwave that hit Britain in the summertime, particularly in late August and early September, has produced a very sturdy and tear-jerking harvest of onions
In people, this irritates the eyes and stimulates the lacrimal glands to provide the inevitable flood of tears on the chopping board.
Consultants consider the crop on sale now’s drier, which means every onion comprises much less water than typical so the acidic compounds are closely concentrated and extra highly effective.
Alastair Findlay, of Lakes Farm in Bedford, Bedfordshire, mentioned: ‘I often have completely different onion breeding traces laboratory-analysed and I used to be shocked at how way more potent the sap was – virtually double these I measured in October.
‘It’s solely guesswork however I’m fairly sure it will be brought on by the terribly dry days, very clear skies, drought in some locations and the solar shining from morning until nightfall.’
He added that the subsequent crop of onions is more likely to return to regular ranges of pungency.
The Met Workplace’s first ever purple warning for excessive warmth was issued in July, with 40.3C (104F) registered in Coningsby, Lincolnshire – the best British temperature on document.
Farmer James Parrish, additionally in Bedfordshire, mentioned: ‘As a result of very parched summer season and early autumn, we’ve got discovered that onions harvested at the moment are about ten per cent drier.
‘This implies they’ve a decrease water content material, so the sulphur compounds within the onions are extra concentrated and are due to this fact stronger.’
He added that the new climate additionally led to smaller bulbs.
Norfolk-based farmer Tom Abrey mentioned his crop was about one to 2 per cent drier due to excessive gentle ranges and temperatures over the summer season.
He added that such a rise was uncommon and would inevitably result in onions being extra pungent.
