Aibu - what the heck is an onion core?

[booellesmum]

Daughter is doing cookery at school.
Apparently when you chop an onion you have to throw the core away as it is too hard and bitter to use.
Is this really a thing? I've obviously been doing it wrong for 40 years but at least no one has complained until now!

Do they mean the end of the root?

Yeah it's the end bit where the root is. I usually chuck this bit as well.

Depends how old the onion is. If it has gone to seed then yes the core could be woody and bitter.

Apparently they mean the whole centre of the onion. I have always chopped the ends off but never thrown away all of the middle.

That's crazy the middle is fine to eat.

Sometimes the middle has an extra layer like skin around it, but i normally just chuck this level then have done. If I'm cooking the onion into something like spag bog, I'm often adding celery, too, to add a bit of bitterness, anyhow.

The middle is incredibly strong I've always found, and have always been able to taste it. I tend to chuck it out just to stop myself from crying as well when chopping it. Seems to have worked so far. Didn't realise other people ate it. (But then DF trained as a chef so maybe I was brought up with not using it idk)

I cut the core out as then my eyes don't water! Cut a square (4 slices) round the root end of the onion and dig out the middle

You've got to hand it to the onion marketing board, convincing people to chuck away the middles of onions.