15 Onions That Will Make You Cry (Every Time!)

It’s a well-known fact that onions can make you cry because they release irritating compounds when chopped.

However, some onions are gentle and won’t irritate your eyes much.

This difference in potency is linked to the sulfur content of the onion.

The more sulfur compounds in onion, the more likely it’s to make you cry.

Let’s look at the most pungent onions that are guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes.

15 Onions That Will Make You Cry

The pungency of onion depends on the variety and the growing conditions, like soil composition, rain, and sunlight.

Pungency is measured on the pyruvate scale.

Strong onions containing more sulfur have high ratings on this scale. Here are some of the onions that top the list.

1. Bridger Onions

Bridger onions have thick and smooth yellow skin and a flat shape.

These onions grow well in low-temperature areas and produce high yields. They’re usually harvested in August.

This deep golden-brown variety has excellent disease resistance.

It’s crisp and moist making it a good onion for grilling and roasting.

Although Bridger onions are very pungent, they don’t hold up well in storage for too long.

2. Copra Onions

Copra onions are long-storage yellow onions with firm flesh. These onions are of medium size.

They’re versatile and can be used in various dishes. They have a creamy, yellow color.

These onions grow very well in abundant sunlight and moist soil conditions.

Despite its delicious flavors and hardiness, this onion variety is soon being replaced by the Patterson onions with similar physical traits and flavor.

3. Ebenezer Onions

Ebenezer is a type of white onion. It’s medium-sized, with a diameter of 2 to 3 inches, with a flat shape and strong onion flavor.

The outside is golden while the flesh is pale and yellow.

This onion stores well because it has high sulfur content compared to sweet onion varieties.

It’s crisp, delicious, and good for cooking.

4. Creole Onions

Creole onions have bold flavors. They’re medium-size with spicy, Cajun flavors.

The skin is dark red on the outside.

Meanwhile, the flesh is thick and firm with a granex shape. It’s also very moist and crisp.

Cutting into it releases a strong and unmistakable oniony aroma. It’s a very pungent variety of onion.

This variety of onion is very high in sulfur and hence it stores very well.

It tastes good in salads and salsa, and can also be used for cooking.

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5. Red Weathersfield Onions

Red Weathersfield onions are iconic heirloom onions.

They’re named after the village of Weathersfield in Connecticut where they were first grown.

These onions have a rich and deep purple color, with a plump and flat shape.

They have a strong savory aroma and are very pungent.

These onions are crunchy. They keep for a long time in storage.

They taste great in salads and sandwiches and are also good for cooking.

6. Australian Brown Onions

Australian Brown onions are Spanish onions with a nice round shape and medium size.

They have beautiful white and creamy flesh, and the skin is a rich and deep brown color.

These onions have high sulfur content. Hence, they hold up in storage for a long time.

The onions can be easily identified by their bulb-like shape and thick brown papery skin.

Their strong flavors work well in a variety of recipes.

They’re good for cooking.

However, it’s very difficult to cut these onions without crying because of their strong pungency.

7. Yellow Bermuda Onions

Yellow Bermuda onions fall into the medium-pungency group.

Nonetheless, these onions will also make you tear up when you chop them.

They’re large and flat with yellow skin. They’re succulent and juicy on the inside.

Bermuda onions are highly preferred for grilling.

They also taste good in sandwiches and burgers. You can also cook with them.

These onions hold up well in storage because of their low sugar content.

8. Brigham Yellow Globe Onions

Brigham Yellow Globe onions aren’t as pungent as Creole or Ebenezer onions.

Nonetheless, they’re pungent enough to make you cry.

These onions are yellow and globe-shaped. They have light yellow or brownish skin.

These onions are very flavorful and good for cooking or eating raw.

9. Red Bull Onions

Red Bull onions are very flavorful dark red onions.

They’re a premium onion variety, renowned for their deep color and crispy bite.

These onions are large and hard. They add a spicy note and crunch to any dish.

You can eat red bull onions raw. However, they also hold their shape during cooking.

One of the biggest advantages of red bull onions is that they hold up well and keep much longer than most other onion varieties.

10. Talon Onions

Talon onions are large onions with dark brown skin and white flesh.

You can easily identify them by their bronze-brown smooth skin.

These are excellent storage onions with a strong pungency.

Interestingly, Talon Onions start as sweet. However, the pungency intensifies as they age.

They will still retain some of the sweetness when they’re fully ready.

They’re good for dishes where the onions should hold their shape.

Although they turn translucent, these onions don’t become mushy.

11. Courtland Onions

Courtland onions are thick, blocky round onions that are so pungent that they can push anyone to tears.

These onions are highly drought-tolerant and grow well in limited moisture conditions.

However, the lack of water intensifies their flavors, and increases their pungency.

Smaller bulbs tend to be more pungent.

They have tough outer skin and hold up well in storage. The outside of the onion is thick and copper-colored.

12. Red Wing Onions

Red wing onions are a popular crop in the Northern areas.

They’re moderately pungent red onions and some of the best onions for long-term storage.

They have very firm flesh and a delicious bite.

The strong and hard bulbs hold up well in storage and keep longer than other varieties when stored well.

They look very attractive with their bright purplish-red color skin and firm round shape.

13. Ruby Red Onions

Ruby Red onions are very hardy burgundy-color onions.

These heirloom onions are native to New York.

The bulbs are globe-shaped with firm flesh. They grow to medium size.

These long-day storage onions will keep well in storage.

They’re very pungent and hold their shape during cooking.

Hence, they’re a good choice for various dishes.

These onions infuse dishes with complex flavors even while holding their texture and not turning into mush.

14. Pontiac Onions

Pontiac onions are some of the best storage onions. They’re yellow onions.

These onions grow to a large size and have thick bronze-colored skin.

The neck region of these onions dries down very quickly.

Pontiacs survive well when the storage conditions are right and are suitable for long-term use.

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15. Stuttgarter Onions

Stuttgarter onions are a variety of yellow onions. They’re widely available and very versatile.

These onions are medium to large-size and flat-shaped with firm skin.

They’re hardy and hold up well in storage for a long time.

Stuttgarter onions are spicy but can be eaten raw.

The heat and flavors of this onion intensify when exposed to heat during cooking.