Have You Grown Stevia?

[NJCher]

I know it's an herbal sweetener but I have little experience in how to use it as a sweetener straight from the plant.

Has anyone here grown it and used it as a sweetener? If so, how did you process it for use?


Cher

[Denninmi]

1. I've grown it.

Easy to grow, full sun, moderately rich, moist soil. Basically, treat it like basil and it will do fine.

Easy to dry. Just pick the leaves, and dry them on a screen or on a cookie sheet in an extremely low oven (like 110 degrees Fahrenheit), or on a food dryer.

Personally, not a big fan. Any of them I've tried (about 4 plants) have always had a bitter aftertaste. I guess there are a couple of named cultivars on the market now that are said to be much less bitter than the seed-grown strains.

[HopeHoops]

2. Every year - kick ass sweetener - brew it right in with the herbs.

[seacrest out.]

3. I have but it didn't last.

Any suggestions would be swell. I am not sure how much light it needs.

[Javaman]

4. Yeah for several years. I have even distilled it into liquid form.

http://suburbandweller.blogspot.com/2010/08/i-got-your-stevia-right-here.html

[NJCher]

6. thanks for the input

I've decided to grow it.

Javaman, your extract process was very interesting! I am going to try this over the summer. I picked up many tips--for example, I'd never have known not to cut the stems so low, and actually, I'd never have thought of extracting it in the first place. It sounds like such an interesting process.

I was also intrigued by what your blog piece says about its effect with insulin.


Cher

[Ruby Reason]

8. I've grown stevia and we like it, but we've always dried it.

I'm going to try distilling it according to your directions if we get a couple of nice plants this year. Thanks!

[tru]

5. not a fan

I tried it as a sweetener. Not a fan, so I would try it yourself, if you haven't, before going to the effort of growing it.

[Denninmi]

7. I thought I recalled that there were some named varieties on the market.

Richter's Herbs in Canada has a proprietary variety they call 'Crazy Sweet' which they claim is the least bitter variety available. Alas, at this time, it's sold out.

[Gormy Cuss]

9. Yes.

The trick to avoiding bitterness is to understand how to use it in fresh and dried (green) form. Javaman's infusion technique is a good idea. I brew it like an herb tea and use the strained liquid as an extract.

Also, it's important to get a good plant from a reliable source. Mine is from a local Master Gardener who could assure me that it would survive our winter and that the leaves weren't that bitter.

The plant grows very vigorously in one season -- you'll have lots to dry next fall.

[lorentz12]

10. Spam deleted by tjwmason (MIR Team)

[shanti]

11. i'd like to grow some

but finding a plant has been almost impossible around my parts. they are snapped up immediately.