Onions will be softer, sweeter and tastier if you do 1 thing before eating them

Many people say that onions can make or break a dish. Their strong flavour is loved by some and hated by others, and they have a reputation for being a bit overpowering, especially when served raw. They can bring a spicy crunch to salads and sandwiches, but for many people, the taste is just too sharp.

Even a few thin slices can leave a bitter aftertaste or that familiar burning sensation that lingers for hours. Some people even avoid using raw onions altogether, swapping them out for milder ingredients or cooking them down to soften the blow. But there's a simple way to fix this without losing flavour or texture.

According to classically trained chef Molly Adams, the trick is to soak raw onions in an ice bath before eating them.

She says it's something she learned in culinary school and still uses to this day.

Writing for Simply Recipes, she explained: "In culinary school, I was taught to soak onions and other alliums like shallots in an ice bath - a bowl filled with water and ice - for 10 to 20 minutes to tame the bite and mellow the flavour while crisping up the texture."

After the onions are soaked, they should be drained and added to your dish.

The result, she says, is a much gentler flavour without losing that satisfying crunch.

Molly added: "Raw onions are a polarising ingredient. The biting flavour can overwhelm any dish and linger in my mouth for hours.

"That said, sometimes a hit of spiciness and crunch is just what I need."

The reason the trick works is all down to science. Onions are packed with sulphur compounds. These are what cause the tears when cutting them and give them their harsh bite.

When the onions are soaked in cold water, the surface enzymes get rinsed away, and the cold temperature makes them less reactive.

Other methods work too. Soaking onions in vinegar or lemon juice can also tone down their sharpness, though it results in a softer texture.

This is ideal for pasta salads or dressings where the onions don't need to stay crisp.

Some chefs also recommend salting raw onions to mellow their flavour. This breaks down the fibres and makes them easier to eat without completely removing their punch.

But if you're after onions that are softer, sweeter, and tastier, without losing their crunch, an ice bath is the way to go.