Is Your Stevia Real?

Today I want to expand a little on a post I did 6 months ago.  In this video, featured below, I show you how to make your own pure stevia and liquid stevia.  Making and growing your own stevia is very simple.  You can save a lot of money by making your own stevia and take comfort in knowing that this is the “real” thing and not the fake stevia that is all over our markets today!

Since stevia has taken off in the health food markets, a lot of fake and un pure stevia has shown up on the shelves.  A clear example would be Truvia made by the Coca Cola Company.  It is made to taste like sugar and look like sugar to sell like sugar.  

Stevia is not suppose to taste like sugar and a true stevia is actually green, not white.  Stevia has a very sweet taste yes, but if you use to much it can quickly become bitter.  

Does Your Stevia Have Added “Hidden” Sugar?

A lot of stevia for sale today has added ingredients and hidden sugars added.  Remember “ose” on the end of a word is usually another form of sugar.  One of these ingredients that you see often in this so called pure stevia is dextrose!  Stay away from this, it is sugar and there is nothing pure about it.  

When purchasing stevia, make sure the ingredients are OLNY pure stevia (no artificial colors, flavors or added preservatives) then you would probably be okay to consume this.

How To Make Your Own Pure Stevia & Liquid Stevia

If you are wanting to make sure your stevia is pure, then try making it yourself.  Growing stevia is super easy.  You can pick up a stevia plant at your local nursery and I have also seen them at home improvement stores in their garden centers.  Stevia plants have become very easy to find these days.  

Stevia can be grown in pots, in landscapes and in gardens.  You can even grow stevia indoors.  It requires very little maintenance.  It can be harvested all summer long but is sweetest in the fall when the temperatures become cooler.  

When your stevia is ready to harvest (you can view my stevia that is ready for harvest in the video below) then follow these simple steps to make your own pure stevia and liquid stevia.

1. Harvest your stevia plant by cutting off the branches at the base of the plant.
2. Wash the branches/leaves in clean filter water.
3. Pick leaves off stevia plant, discard the stems, and dry the leaves for 12 hours in the sun.
4. Once your leaves are dry, grind them in a food processor or coffee grinder to make pure stevia.  I find that a coffee grinder makes for the finest powder and works very nicely.
5. Note ~ homegrown stevia powder is not as sweet as store bought stevia (300 times sweeter then sugar).  To cook with home grown stevia simply replace every 1 cup of sugar with 3-4 teaspoons of homegrown stevia.
6. To make liquid stevia, dissolve 1/4 cup pure homegrown stevia powder with 1 cup hot filtered water.  Stir and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours.  After 24 hours strain the stevia out of the liquid and store the liquid stevia in the refrigerator.

That is it.  It taste amazing and you will never buy store bought stevia again.  One plant usually supplies enough stevia to last me a year.  Remember, a little goes a long way!!  So head on out and get yourself a stevia plant and try this for yourself.  You won’t be disappointed!

Share Your Thoughts

Have you grown your own stevia?  

What are some of your favorite ways to use stevia?