Stevia Rebaudiana

     Stevia has been used for centuries in other parts of the world as nature's sweetner.  Historically sugar was a very expensive and rare spice that only the wealthy could afford.  The vast majority of the population needed a beneficial weed that would supply that sweet taste and thusly Stevia became a beneficial weed.

                     Harvesting Stevia from Your Garden

   Harvest stems, leaving 1/3 of the foliage if regrowth is desired. Strip leaves and discard stems. Leaves may be used fresh for tea or eaten right off the plant for a sweet treat. Try combining with mint leaves. Dry leaves for later use by spreading in a warm spot with good circulation or in a dehydrator on low heat. Dried leaves remain sweet for many years and may be ground into a powder with a kitchen blender or food processor. 

               Substituting Stevia In Recipes

    A general rule is to use 2-3 tablespoons of dried, ground stevia leaves substituting for one full cup of regular cane sugar.  The problem will be the loss of the bulk ingredients that sugar provided so you must be ready to sub in for the sugar.  We have some recipes that accomplish that below for your use.  Often people will suspend the leaves in a liquid infusing the sweetness into the liquid itself with the sweet flavor. 

   You will have to experiment with dried Stevia to determine the quantity to use for your taste buds.

Recipes:

Whipped Cream
Yields 2 cups

The real thing. Great taste, but it does have real calories!

• 1 cup liquid whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Stevia Dried Powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whip together all the ingredients in a small deep mixing bowl until soft peaks form. Do not over-beat or it will become a bowl of lumps (sweet butter, actually). Serve immediately or refrigerate. Variation: Many spices and flavorings can be used. For example, try a dash of cinnamon with pumpkin pie or a few drops of almond flavoring to serve over peach cobbler.



Above recipe from

 http://stevia.homestead.com/index.html web site

 

 

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