Stevia

Question: How much stevia is equal to a cup of sugar? Hi, I am going to make grape jelly and I want to use stevia instead of sugar. How much will I need to equal a cup of sugar? Also, is it OK to use stevia instead of sugar in jams and jellies?

Answer: There is a conversion chart for sugar>stevia on the web site www.stevia.com. They even have a cook book that you can order.

Question: How do I process a stevia plant to use it in coffee? Stevia is a natural sweetener that you can buy in a liquid form. We bought 2 plants and don't want to toss a leaf into the coffees!

Answer: " To prepare it for sale or use in the traditional way, the leaves of the stevia plant are collected and dried, then crushed to a powder. You may see this light brown powder sold in bags or bottles. Of all of the stevia plant, only the leaves are sweet. The stems and leaf veins tend to be bitter and so are not included in high-quality stevia leaf products. The fresh green leaves can also be brewed to make a tea."

Question: where can i buy a stevia plant in ky? my mother bought a stevia plant at lowes a few yrs ago. it died. for some reason one can no longer purchase them or they seem to be difficult to get.are they hard to start from seed?

Answer: http://www.google.com/search?q=buy+Stevia+plant&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1 ask your fave nursery if they can order plants for you... that's how I got one.... (it died, too).....

Question: Where can I purchase stevia with no additives? I purchased "stevia extract powder" from a company whose website said that it only contained stevia extract. I opened the box and found that the bottle lists "Ingredients: Maltodextrin, Stevia extract." I do NOT consume maltodextrin, so obviously I'm returning these for a full refund. So where can I get stevia (powder or liquid, but prefer powder) without anything else in it? Please only answer if you have ordered from the company and can verify that it contains nothing extra. Don't want another issue like this one. I'm referring to Stevia Rebaudiana by the way. Sorry to have omitted that detail.

Answer: There is SteviaLeaf Stevia Plus, is what its called and the ingredients are Inulin Fiber (F.O.S) -which is just a fiber many fruits and vegetables have- and Stevia leaf extract. They have it at Whole Foods and I know the ingredients because they had stevia packet samples. Hope I helped.

Question: What is the difference between splenda and stevia extract? I currently use splenda instead of sugar but a friend suggested stevia, doe any one know the difference?

Answer: They have nothing in common at all--Splenda is an artificial chemical made in a laboratory, Stevia is a plant. Splenda is the brand name for a chemical called sucralose. Stevia is short for Stevia rebaudiana, also called sweetleaf. They have pretty different chemcial structures, but are both around 300 times sweeter than sugar. There is also concerns about both of their health risks, but Splenda is FDA approved as a food additive, whereas Stevia is only available for use as a dietary supplement. There's tons tons tons more information out there about them, but basically they don't have very much in common at all.

Question: Where do I buy organic stevia herb in powdered or tablet form in malaysia? I'm looking to buy organic stevia herb in powdered & tablet form for family consumption.Cant seem to find it here. Please dont suuggest google as I have tried it. Please answer if you know which shop or the address to get it from. Thank you soo much.

Answer: do they have a GNC (general nutrition center) in any malls there?.. they sell this stuff... (I swear by stevia.. I love it)

Question: Does stevia make you crave foods like regular artificial sugars? I know that sweet and low and all of those tend to make people crave carbs. But does stevia?

Answer: No, in my experience it doesn't. We have been using stevia for a while now and it really seems to help and to not have that side effect.

Question: Is there any way I can substitude agave or powdered stevia instead of sugar in a baking recipe? My mom will not eat sugar at all. that makes it hard for me because i love to bake sweets. right now i want to make a pumkin pie. is there anyway i can substitude agave or stevia(the only sweetners she allows) instead of sugar in the recipe.

Answer: yes, check this, it has the equivalents, I was not able to paste it ... http://www.stevia.com/stevia-sugarEquivalencies.asp Equivalencies are approximate. Adjust to your taste. Too much Stevia may taste bitter. When substituting Stevia for sugar in your own recipes you may have to adjust for the bulk. Try adding applesauce, apple butter or plain yogurt.

Question: Where can I find the best stevia at a great price? I'm looking for a good quality stevia and some books to go along with it.

Answer: Here in the Central La. area I purchase mine from Vitamin Plus. Excellent prices.

Question: How do you care for a Stevia plant in a pot? My mom bought a stevia plant and it's dying. I really want to take care of it so I can use it. Does anyone know how to take care of it? Please help me. Oh! And if I can save it, how do you extract the sweetness from the leaves?

Answer: Stevia is easy to care for. Feed it a light solution of water soluble tomato food about every two weeks. I use Expert Gardener at 1/2 strength and feed 1/2 gallon on a two week schedule. Use plain water between feedings if needed; they need to be somewhat dry between waterings so you may not need anything between feedings. Keep them in full sun to partial shade. Mine are in full sun most of the time, some shade in early fall due to the changing of seasons but not much. Harvest the leaves as needed or at maturity. If you allow the plant to bloom and produce seeds harvest the seeds when they reach the degree of dryness at which the seeds begin drifting away on the wind. The seed heads resemble very small dandelion seed heads and can be harvested by hand. Keep only the dark seeds; the light-colored seeds are not viable. You can then plant the seeds and increase your crop or share with family and friends. Sow the seeds on top of the soil with no or very little covering; they need light to germinated. To extract the sweetness from the leaves you need to dry them completely and make them into a powder. I use a blender to reduce the leaves to powder then sift them through a flour sifter. I find that 1/16 teaspoon is enough for a cup of coffee. When you use the powder directly let the fluid (coffee, tea, etc.) sit for a few minutes then stir and enjoy. If you prefer you can steep the leaves in warm water to extract the sweetness then use the water. To do this steep 1/2 cup of leaves in warm water for at least 10 minutes, strain out the leaves and store the sweetened water in the refrigerator until needed. It will only keep for a couple of weeks so don't make more than you will use during that time. Stevia is an excellent sweetener, especially for those who need to limit their sugar intake (such as diabetics) or want to taste sweetness without the few added calories of sugar or honey. There are several sites with excellent information about growing, harvesting and using Stevia, including many recipes for foods and desserts that you and your family will enjoy. Search for "Stevia Plants" and Stevia Recipes" on any good search engine and delve deeper into the many uses you find. Good luck and enjoy!

Question: Any good dessert recipes that use stevia? I was looking for some sweet recipes, ones that especially don't have that aftertaste that stevia usually has when you use a lot of it. Thanks!

Answer: Check this out: http://www.cargill.com/rebiana/ps_rebiana.htm Apparently Coca-Cola and Cargill are making a new sweetener made from stevia but altering it a bit to get rid of the strong taste. I don't know any recipes. I just use it in my coffee. My family hates the licorice taste so I don't bake with it.

Question: Why is stevia illegal for use as a sweetener in the USA? Chemicals such as aspartame, believed to cause brain damage, are legal sweeteners in the United States. But stevia, a plant you can grow in your garden, which has no known harmful effects on humans, which has been long used safely in Japan, is nonetheless banned as a sweetener in America. Why?

Answer: it's banned as a food additive in products for sale, but not banned by individuals who have it and use it for their own private use. the reason is standard for the FDA ---politics, money, business interests. why should one buy a sweetener from a company, when a person can grown their own for free?

Question: How does Stevia taste in comparison to white sugar? If it were to be added to baking goods or drinks, would the difference between Stevia and white sugar be noticeable?

Answer: I do use stevia and here's a conversion chart for the brand I use: http://www.sweetleaf.com/category.php?subcat=whats_stevia&subpage=steviafaq I have to say that I can always taste the difference, but usually stevia is good. If you get too much in something, it becomes bitter. It does have a moderate after taste to me as well. You can bake with it and probably it's not as noticeable as when you try to sweeten say cocoa with it. I'm going to assume you may be diabetic and concerned about the glycemic index, so you might want to consider something else to sweeten liquids, such as agave nectar: http://www.blueagavenectar.com/glycemicindexofsugars.html Again, you can tell it's not sugar, but it has a very pleasant mild taste in my opinion--almost like a mild honey. With a GI of 27, about 1/3d that of honey, it's a lower impact on your system. There are other possible substitutes as well, such as xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol, but you have to worry about potential GI distress in some cases. For baking, probably stevia will make you happy, especially if there are lots of other flavours in what you're making. For drinks, like cocoa, I suspect agave will be more pleasing with not a heavy GI hit.

Question: Anyone know a chocolate dessert recipe using avocado and stevia? I know I came across a recipe somewhere online for making a chocolate dessert by whipping up an avocado and adding stevia and cocoa powder. I can't find it now, and I'm not sure if there were more ingredients and what the process was. Anyone know it?

Answer: This mousse uses avocados, no stevia. Maybe this will help trigger your memory though!

Question: Has anyone used either Stevia or Xylitol to sweeten their food or drink? I have tried both liquid and powdered Stevia and am disappointed as it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I'm planning to try xylitol next. Any comments about these? Is there a best brand? Please share your findings based on your own experiences please. I am missing the taste of natural sugar in my tea really bad! :( Thanks!

Answer: Can't speak for Stevia or xylitol as a sweetener by itself, but I chew Stride gum with xylitol and it's delicious. I would recommend you try crystalline fructose. It has a very low glycemic index (19) compared to table sugar (65) and requires no insulin to process. Plus, it's sweeter than sugar. Fructose is what makes apples sweet. It is often mistakenly confused with high fructose corn syrup (which is crap), but it's not the same. Read more about it below:

Question: How do I turn crushed Stevia leaves into a liquid? I'm growing stevia, but it's hard to use the leaves to sweeten drinks & cook with. I have crushed all my leaves (like a powder). Now how do I turn the steam from boiling the crushed leaves into a liquid?

Answer: the better way is to put them fresh, into a blender and then squeeze the juice from the leave pulp through a cheesecloth. Soak and rinse the cheesecloth before using.