I spotted this in the supermarket about a year ago now and have been using it ever since. It is so easy and convenient to use and stops you getting garlic fingers after skinning and chopping fresh garlic cloves. I hate cleaning the garlic crusher after use and this little jar is a perfect solution to all the nasty side of being a garlic lover. (The only thing it doesn't do is freshen your breath after eating!)

Garlic is a strong and powerful ingredient and if you use too much in your cooking it will totally overtake any other flavour in your dish. I love it in pasta dishes the best but even then using it in moderation is better as it mingles with other flavours such as tomato or mushroom in a far more pleasing combination than if it is mostly a garlic flavour.

The little jar is a good size and once opened will keep for up to 12 weeks in your fridge which is an excellent period of time in which to use it all up. It also fits into the shelf in the fridge door which is useful.

The garlic pieces inside are chopped up nice and tiny, giving your food that gorgeous garlic taste without coming across huge chunks of it in your Spaghetti Bolognaise. The pieces are stored in a White Wine Vinegar in the jar to stop them drying out but this evaporates during cooking and leaves no acidic taste to your food. I have found that as I get near the bottom of a jar the vinegar is mostly gone and the garlic pieces do tend to dry a little and stick to the sides of the jar but they are still just as tasty and easy to scoop out with a teaspoon.

I use this for so many dishes as it is a really simple to use ingredient. Practically all my pasta dishes have garlic in them now and certainly Shepherd's Pie and Spag Bol. Even my roast potatoes and veg have a little sprinkling of garlic over them before being put in the oven. I also mix it with Quark (soft cheese) and stuff chicken breasts with it for healthy Chicken Kiev. The recipes garlic can be added to are endless and if you like the taste, which is an acquired taste I think, this little jar of Very Lazy Garlic is ideal to keep in the fridge.

The only thing to be aware of is that it is very easy to put too much in the food you are preparing. I made a Shepherd's Pie last night for four people and put two teaspoons of garlic pieces in to it. It was lovely for me but the children didn't like it too much and my husband commented that it was a bit overpowering. Two teaspoons I think would be equivalent to about 5 garlic cloves, so maybe stick to half a teaspoon or a whole one if you are a garlic lover and the flavour will be more subtle. The makers, English Provender, state that you can replace one teaspoon for the equivalent of a clove of garlic but I guess it depends how well you load the spoon as I think the ratio is much more than that.

Of course garlic has great health benefits as well, namely for the heart, keeping it functioning well and although you can take garlic capsules to avoid the bad breath - I much prefer to add the real stuff to my food as the taste is delicious.

I buy mine from Sainsbury's and it costs me £1.48 for the jar which then lasts me approximately two months. I think this is very cost effective as fresh garlic would need replacing more often and I would probably not use it as much due to the effort required in peeling and chopping/crushing.

An excellent little jar for countless dinners.