Martha’s Q And A No Flowers On Your Lilac Bushes? Onions Make You Cry? What Are You Going To Do?

Q. The lilac bush I planted three years ago isn’t flowering. What should I do?

Patty Trueman, Dorchester, Mass.

A: The lilac plant (syringa vulgaris) is generally undemanding. Even so, your question is a common one.

Be patient. Some lilacs take years to begin blooming. Here are some guidelines for care:

To encourage your plant to flower, make sure the growing conditions are appropriate. Lilacs do best in rich, well-drained soil that is fairly neutral in pH; the bed should never be soggy. They also need full sun. If necessary, move the plant to a sunnier spot in your garden.

Planting should be done in early spring or fall. Be aware, however, that after being moved, a lilac bush may not bloom right away.

Proper pruning is crucial. It can be done while the plant is in bloom, which means that you can cut the flowers for bouquets to enjoy indoors. Or you can cut off the spent blooms just as the flowers finish. The plant soon begins setting next year’s flower buds, so to be safe, don’t prune it at all after July 4 each year. At that point, and through the fall and winter, pruning would reduce or eliminate next spring’s show.

Q: How do you keep from becoming teary-eyed when cutting onions? - Elizabeth Jump, Manlius, N.Y.

A: Crying while slicing onions is a problem that every cook experiences. When you peel or cut into an onion, it releases gaseous sulfur compounds that irritate the eyes.

There is no foolproof solution, but here are several techniques to reduce the stinging and tearing:

My favorite trick is to light a large candle near the cutting board. The flame will help burn off the sulfur compounds released by the onion. Or, if you have a gas stove and a steady, safe place near it where you can place the cutting board, slice the onion there. Be careful working near the flame, and don’t forget to turn off the stove as soon as you’re finished.

Place the onion in a freezer for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting it. Or store onions in a refrigerator. Cold onions release less gas.

When peeling onions, hold them under cold running water. The water helps keep the fumes from getting to you.

Chop the onion quickly. Here is the best method: Cut it in half from stem end to root end. Set one half aside, cut side down, on your work surface. Cut off the stem end of the other half, and peel it. Place it cut side down on the cutting board and make vertical cuts along the veins of the onion, without cutting through the root end, which holds the onion together as you work. Make a few horizontal cuts from the cut stem end toward the root end. Then chop across the onion from the cut stem end to the root end, resulting in beautiful, perfectly even dice.

Q: What can I do to remove stains from butcher block? - Betty Muelchi, Hawthorne, Calif.

A: Wood is porous, so it does stain fairly easily. The first thing to try is a paste of kosher salt and lemon juice, which acts as a mild bleach.

Sprinkle a bit of kosher salt onto the stain, then squeeze lemon juice over the salt. Work it in a bit, then let it sit for several hours or overnight. Scrub with a cloth or brush and rinse.

If the stain remains, move on to household chlorine bleach. (When working with bleach, it’s a good idea to wear rubber gloves and open a window for ventilation.) Try a diluted solution first, then straight bleach if necessary.

Pour a little bleach onto the stain or dab it on with a saturated cloth, and work it into the stain with a stiff brush. Leave the bleach on for about 10 minutes, then reapply if the stain has still not disappeared. Rinse and dry the area well.

Many stains can be removed, but others may have penetrated too deeply into the wood.

Small cuts and scratches can be sanded right out of the surface. Butcher-block counters often have an oil finish, which prevents the wood from drying out; it also offers a little protection, which may keep spills from becoming stains.

Reseasoning and maintaining the finish is a simple process. Begin by giving the wood a thorough cleaning with a weak bleach solution (one part bleach to 10 parts water); rinse and dry. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub warm mineral oil (heat it by placing the bottle into a pan of hot water) into the wood. Keep applying coats of oil until the wood stops absorbing it. Then wipe up any excess and let the area dry for at least six hours.

Depending on their use, most butcher blocks should be oiled about once a month.

MEMO: Questions should be addressed to Martha Stewart, care of The New York Times Syndication Sales Corp., 122 E. 42nd St., New York, NY 10168. Questions may also be sent to Stewart by electronic mail. Her address is: mstewart@marthastewart.com.

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