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 supposed to taste like sugar and a true stevia is actually green, not white. Stevia has a very sweet taste, yes, but if you use too 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.
- Harvest your stevia plant by cutting off the branches at the base of the plant.
- Wash the branches/leaves in clean filter water.
- Pick leaves off stevia plant, discard the stems, and dry the leaves for 12 hours in the sun.
- 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.
- Note ~ homegrown stevia powder is not as sweet as store bought stevia (300 times sweeter than sugar). To cook with home grown stevia simply replace every 1 cup of sugar with 3-4 teaspoons of homegrown stevia.
- 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 tastes 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!
How To Make Your Own Pure Stevia & Liquid Stevia ~ Part 2
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- Leaves from a stevia plant
- 1/4 cup pure homegrown stevia
- 1 cup hot filtered water
Instructions
- Harvest your stevia plant by cutting off the branches at the base of the plant.
- Wash the branches/leaves in clean filter water.
- Pick leaves off stevia plant, discard the stems, and dry the leaves for 12 hours in the sun.
- 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.
- Note ~ homegrown stevia powder is not as sweet as store bought stevia (300 times sweeter than sugar). To cook with home grown stevia simply replace every 1 cup of sugar with 3-4 teaspoons of homegrown stevia.
- 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.
Share Your Thoughts
Have you grown your own stevia?
What are some of your favorite ways to use stevia?
Mary you should try this.
Thanks for the info I like this idea
Very interesting – our planting dates are probably much different in AZ
Cool!
i saw a stevia plant at Lowes this weekend and could not believe you could buy the plant…duh! Well now that i have this knowledge i am defiantly going back to buy it. Thank you for the info and for saving me lots of money.
@dmp Your welcome. Let me know if you should have any questions when you do plant your Stevia.
Hi!
At the Farmer’s Market I tried (eat) a leave of Stevia. Is super sweet! Do you have any comments about eat the plant? Or use the leaves to sweet drinks? Thanks!
@Sidy I use the leaves all the time to sweeten my tea. No bitterness what so ever. Just steep it with your tea and you will have sweet tea. You can also add it to some sun tea for an all natural sweet tea! ( I have a recipe coming out very soon for this.)
Thank you for writting this. I saw some stevia plants last night at our grocery store. I am a bit concerned though if they use pestisides. I think I will just buy one and call the nursery.
Can I harvest it regularly or is it a one time shot? Thanks! I have 3 plants!!
JaniceJakaus It is pretty much a one time shot. It is best to harvest in the fall when the temperatures are a bit cooler. The plant will become sweeter producing a more pleasurable product.
How long does it last in the refrigerator?
I know this is a WAYYY late response, but I disagree with it being a one-time harvest. I got a stevia plant from a local nursery last year. I repotted it into a 10 inch (or so) African violet pot (I’m awful at remembering to water plants!) and harvest from it regularly. I just make sure not to take ALL the leaves when I cut it back. I leave 4 or so leaves on each branch and still have plenty to harvest.
How long does the liquid last in the frig? Thanks
Halle,
Thanks for this info. I did plant a Stevia this summer, just checked on it and it has started to bloom. Do I dry the blooms too?
Thank you! Linda
Thank you Halle,
I watched your video and it was very helpful. I grew my own stevia plant this year (purely experimental) that I bought from the farmers market. I have got 3 small harvests from it, resulting in about 1/2 cup green powder. If I make this into extract, how long will it last in the fridge? So excited about this, that next year its going be a 1/2 dozen plants so I can share with family and friends!
G
Hi Halle,
I just ground up some stevia plant for the first time. I am used to opening a packet of stevia to add to my coffee, but you say the sweetness level is different from store bought, so could you please tell me how much green stevia would be the same sweetness as a packet of store stevia?
Try a 16th of a tsp per serving