14 culinary hacks that will make your life a lot easier

Ever wish you could spend half the time in the kitchen, while still cooking up delicious meals? Do you find your food goes bad more quickly than you can eat it? Well, we've got some cooking hacks that will change the way you do things in the kitchen for good!

These culinary tricks will make you feel like a pro. And after reading these tips, you'll be inspired to whip some food that'll make your family believe you're a pro, too!

1. Preserve your herbs in the freezer
Do you feel like every time you buy fresh herbs they go bad before you can use them all? Here's the perfect solution to preserve that fresh basil and thyme (and save you some time too!). Simply place the herbs inside an ice cube tray, cover with olive oil and freeze. Now you have fresh herbs ready the next time you need them!2. Instant lemon water
There's nothing more refreshing on a steamy summer day (or after a hot yoga class) than a ice cold glass of lemon water. This genius tip from will be your new favorite kitchen hack!3. Keep your bananas from turning brown
If your bananas seem to turn brown always turn faster than you can eat 'em, this handy tricky is something you must try. A little plastic wrap and your favorite potassium-packed fruit will stay yellow longer. 4. Revive flat champagne
Is your bubbly no longer bubbly? No worries! You can revitalize your champagne by tossing a raisin into the the bottle. 5. Steak fries in seconds
Instead of slicing your potatoes by hand, use an apple slicer on a potato for perfect steak fries in a cinch!6. Keep cookies soft
Nobody likes stale cookies! The Krazy Coupon Lady suggests placing a slice of bread inside an airtight bag with your batch of cookies to keep them soft and fresh longer.7. Remove strawberry stems with a straw
Instead of using a knife and cutting off good strawberry bits in the process, a straw will remove strawberry stems in a jiffy, but it won't waste any of the precious fruit. Is it coincidence that straw and strawberry are such similar words?8. A wooden spoon prevents your water from boiling over
We've all been there, trying to make pasta and the water boils over just as something starts burning in the oven. While we can't help you on the issue of burning (we all forget sometimes!), we've got a trick that will mean your water will never boil over again. Simply place a wooden spoon across the pot of boiling water. That's it. Yes, seriously. 9. Cut soft cheese with dental floss (h/t Krazy Coupon Lady)
This may sound weird, but it works! Next time you need to slice cheesecake or a soft cheese, like a log of mozzarella, use a piece of dental floss. Just be sure that it's unflavored, otherwise you'll get one minty piece of cheese!10. Remove silk from corn on the cob
Love corn on the cob but hate that pesky silk that gets caught in your teeth? This trick is what you've been missing all your life! Microwave the cob (husk and all!) on high for 4 minutes. Cut the bottom end off and slip off the husk and silk using a towel. How simple is that?!11. Prevent clumps in your brown sugar with marshmallows
That's right! You'll never have to deal with those pesky clumps in your brown sugar again when you try this tip. Place a couple marshmallows in your brown sugar container. Simple as that!12. Use a waffle iron to cook perfect bacon
This is the best bacon hack we've seen in a while! Cook it in a waffle iron for no grease splatter and a perfect crisp. Bonus: Now it's heated up and ready to make some waffles!13. Keep your guacamole from turning brown
One of the saddest things is pulling leftover guacamole out of the fridge only to find it has turned brown. Never make this guac fail again with this handy trick. After putting the guacamole in a container, top with a little water and keep it in the fridge. Drain the water before serving.

14. Scrub pans with aluminum foil
Baked on gunk is the worst part about cleaning up the kitchen. Clean off your pans - even the toughest ones - with a ball of aluminum foil. You'll thank us the next time you have a burnt on mess!

Which tips are you going to try? If you've got any friends or family members who like to cook, do them a favor and share this article!