Here are the culinary hacks you need to make you a master chef in your kitchen

Do you love the taste of homemade food that's been lovingly cooked from scratch, but find it just too tedious a task? Perhaps you've never been able to get that hard-boiled egg 'just' right, or maybe you love cooking fish but it always seems to turn out dry. When things go awry during the cooking process, it can be a real bummer for any cook. And worse yet, it can be enough to keep you from trying it again. But that's a mistake. You may just need a few of the right hacks.

A good hack can really change your life in the kitchen. All those tedious, menial tasks suddenly become so much easier to tackle and in the end, they'll often make your food more flavorful too. Once you try them just once, it's almost guaranteed that you'll want to get right back into your kitchen to try them again, and learn new ones too! These 12 food hacks are a great starting point and will have you cooking like a master chef in no time!

1. Weave the bacon on your sandwiches

This is really two hacks in one. We've all been there. You're eyeing those deliciously crispy bacon strips hanging out of the sides of your sandwich and you can't wait to dive right in. But when you do, often the bacon gets pulled out leaving you with just a strip of bacon, and your sandwich now bacon-less. There's an easy trick to keep this from happening and make sure you get bacon in every bite.

Start by laying three strips of bacon side by side on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Flip up the two pieces of bacon that are on the edge from the bottom and lay a piece of bacon flat across the other way. Place the flipped pieces of bacon back down. Now, flip the middle piece of bacon down, towards the piece you just laid across. Just like you laid that other piece of bacon across the pieces of bacon, lay another one down underneath the now-flipped piece of bacon and then flip that middle piece of bacon back over it. Lastly, flip the two pieces of bacon at the sides again, this time starting at the top and flipping them down. Lay one more piece of bacon across, and then flip those pieces back up. Your bacon is now nicely woven.

Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit and when hot, place in the woven bacon. Let it cook for about 12 minutes, or until it's reached the desired crispiness you're looking for. Remove, lay on your favorite sandwich, and enjoy!

2. Cook fish on lemons when grilling

This works especially well with salmon but if you prefer halibut or tilapia, this food hack is also your friend; and it's so simple. When grilling the fish, get the grill really hot while you prepare your fish. Season it with salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you like, and then slice up some lemons, giving them a little sprinkle of salt as well.

When it's time to grill, lay the lemon pieces down on the grill first and then place your fish on top. Close the lid so the fish can cook completely through and let cook for about 7 minutes, or as long as your recipe calls for. As it cooks, the lemon will infuse flavor into the fish, and you'll be sure that your fish will never stick to those grill grates ever again. As a bonus, you can serve the fish still on the lemon slices so everyone can squeeze a little more juice onto their fish and get a beautiful presentation too!

3. Never overcook a hard-boiled egg again

Hard-boiled eggs are great, especially for vegetarians that are trying to get a boost of protein. But they're also great for salads, sandwiches, or just to snack on. The problem is, most people overcook them and are left with a green-tinged yolk that is not only aesthetically unpleasant, it also has an off taste to it.

To make sure this never happens to you, start with a pot of water filled with enough water to cover the eggs by an inch or two. Bring the water to a light boil; make sure it's not a hard, rolling boil. Before placing the egg in, use a thumbtack to poke a small hole into the larger, rounded side of the egg to release the pressure inside and make sure the egg shells won't crack.

Place the eggs inside gently (using a spoon can help with this) and allow them to lightly boil for 10 minutes. Then take the eggs out of the pot and drain the water. Place the eggs back into the pan and give them a little shake to crack the shells; this makes them easier to peel. Fill the pot back up with cold water which will cool them and help further release the shells. Again, remove the eggs and drain the water but this time, instead of putting the eggs back in, peel them instead.

Then all you have to do is slice into them, see those perfectly golden yolks and enjoy!

4. Peel eggs under cold, running water
Speaking of eggs, if you already have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge that now need to be peeled, it's easier than you think. Lightly tap the egg on all sides against a counter or other hard surface. Don't crack the top, just the sides. Then, run some cool water from the tap. Place the egg under the running water and start peeling, letting the shells fall into the sink.

The water will work its way into all those small cracks you've made and help to release the shell from the white of the egg. This allows the shell to peel away easily and you'll never have to eat another egg that has big chunks taken out of the sides that just wouldn't detach from the shell.

5. Make sure your eggs are freshOne last egg hack. No one ever wants to eat eggs that have gone bad and even if they've turned slightly, they can really ruin a dish. Instead, always make sure your eggs are fresh with this simple trick.

Fill a glass with water, leaving about an inch or two at the top. Gently drop in an egg and watch to see if it sinks to the bottom or if it floats. Because egg shells are so porous, they slowly release moisture and carbon dioxide as they age. When they do, air comes in to take the place of those things. Because of this, eggs that are no longer fresh will rise to the top of the glass. Those that are still fresh are still dense and so, will sink to the bottom of the glass.

6. Reuse pickle brine
You're done with that jar of pickles and so naturally, you dump out all that brine into your sink, right? Stop doing it! Pickle brine is full of flavor and has so many useful purposes. Transfer it into a new, clean jar and drop in cucumbers, sliced beets, red onions, or anything else that you want to give a quick pickle too. It can also be used as a base for zesty homemade salad dressing and can replace vinegar in just about any recipe. Never throw out this liquid gold again!

7. Save your bacon grease
Speaking of liquid gold, bacon grease is also something that can be reused. After frying or baking bacon, strain the grease into a small bowl, mug, or jar. It does need to be strained because if meat solids are left in, it will go bad much faster. Place the grease in the fridge and use it anywhere you'd use cooking oil. Saute meat, fry potatoes, or give those roasted veggies a hint of smoky flavor. Bacon grease is just that - grease - which is all cooking oil really is, anyway, so it's a perfect substitution; and reusing it can also save you some money because you'll no longer have to buy all those different oils. And, it's got a super high smoke point, which means it can be used for just about anything.

8. Use your vegetable peel more wisely

Sure, vegetable peelers are great for just that - peeling your vegetables. But they also do a lot more than that, too. Use them to peel chocolate and get little chocolate curls that are perfect for garnishing any dessert. Or, peel cold butter the next time you bake pastry and see just how easily it incorporates into the flour (without all the work of breaking it up between your fingers). When using it on vegetables, use it for more than just getting off that thin peel. Keep peeling so that your vegetables comes out in long strips. You can then make healthy vegetable chips, or create a zoodle salad when you use it on zucchini - no spiralizer required!

9. Test baking soda for freshness
Bakers know that baking soda needs to be fresh in order to create the chemical reaction that will interact with salt and other ingredients to make cakes and batters light and fluffy. But how do you know until you take out your baked goods and see the result?

Easily. Pour a little bit of baking soda into a bowl. Gently pour some white vinegar in and watch to see if it bubbles furiously; it should. If it doesn't, or if the reaction isn't all that aggressive, do yourself a favor and go get a new box of baking soda that's likely going to be fresh.

10. Test baking powder for freshness
In addition to baking soda, most baked goods will call for a little bit of baking powder, too. And just like baking soda, if your baking powder has gone bad, the result will be very disappointing. This test is similar to the test for baking soda, but you use a different liquid.

Place a bit of warm water into a small bowl and then add a teaspoon or so of baking powder. It should fizz, not as aggressively as the baking soda/vinegar combination, but enough to let you know it's fresh. If it doesn't, pick up some baking powder while you're picking up your baking soda.

11. See how much propane you have leftWe've all been there. You decide spur of the moment to grill up some hamburgers or some nice juicy steaks on the barbecue. But you just used it to slow cook a pulled pork roast, so how do you know you have enough left? Well, you may have a gauge attached to it, but not all of us are so lucky. For the rest of us, there's this simple trick.

Disconnect the tank and fill a bucket or large bowl with warm water. Pour that water down the side of the tank from top to bottom. Then place your hand on various parts where you've poured the water. It will still feel warm where there is no fuel because the metal will absorb the heat. The fuel inside the tank will keep the metal it's against from staying warm and so, it will feel cool, giving you a good idea as to whether or not you have enough fuel for those burgers.

12. Simmer potatoes in milk when making mashedYou have to add warm milk to mashed potatoes anyway, right? It helps get them super creamy and if you use cold milk, it will cool down your potatoes before they even hit the table. Instead, simmer the potatoes themselves in the milk. As they cook they'll absorb some of the milk, making them even creamier and tastier; and you'll have one less dish to wash!