By Carol Kagan, Franklin County Master Gardener
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| Stevia Flowers |
For over hundreds of years, many
countries have used the leaves of the Stevia (STEE-vee-ah) plant (Stevia
rebaudiana), native to high altitudes in Paraguay and Brazil, and now it is
here in the United States. The extracts from the plant are reported to be 300
times sweeter than sugar.
This plant gained popularity in the
U.S. as people began searching for alternatives to sugar in their diets. April
Randolph, Nutrition Training Specialist with Penn State, notes in Dining with
Diabetes, that not only does Stevia, the sweetener derived from this plant,
have zero calories it does not raise blood sugar. This is especially important
for those coping with diabetes.
Stevia is sold in grocery stores
under various brands - Stevia in the Raw, SweetLeaf, Pure Via, and Truvia. The
Mayo Clinic staff has noted that the FDA has determined that these are GRAS
(Generally Regarded As Safe) and the National Cancer Institute and other health
agencies have determined that none of the approved artificial sweeteners cause
cancer or other serious health problems.
In using Stevia as a sugar
substitute, Randolph notes that it can be used in coffee and tea or “even use
it in place of sugar in your favorite recipes.” She adds that its heat stable
and can be used in cooking and baking.
To estimate how much Stevia to use
to replace sugar, Randolph suggests that one-half packet equals 1 teaspoon of
sugar while 12 packets replace one-half cup. However, adjust to your taste.
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| MG Trey Gelbach overwintered his Stevia |
Can I Grow My Own Stevia Plant?
The Stevia plant is native to South
America and is considered a tender perennial in our area – a plant that needs
temperatures above 40°
F. and therefore must be sheltered indoors during the cold season. This makes
it an ideal container plant.
Stevia rebaudiana seeds are
difficult to find and it is recommended to grow plants from seedlings. Plants
need six to eight hours of sun and regular watering. Do not overwater or allow
them to sit in water.
Harvest small amounts often or cut bush to
about two inches above the pot rim in early summer and again in late
summer/early fall just before flowering. Leaves should be harvested as soon a
blossoming begins or the first frost is expected.
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| Stevia leaves drying on a tray (Troy Reid) |
As the day length shortens and
temperatures cool, bring the plant indoors to a warm room. It will do best if
placed under fluorescent or grow lights hung close to the top of the plants.
Using Stevia
There is definitely room for
experimenting with both fresh and dried Stevia in different proportions and
different foods .While Stevia is primarily considered a sugar substitute, it
has its own flavor undertones, an earthiness and sometimes slight honey taste.
The sweetness of Stevia leaves from
the plant varies from person to person. While some find the taste pleasant
others find it bitter. At a recent herb workshop Master Gardener Jerry Lewis
noted he found using the leaves didn't really sweeten his drinks but others
noted that they sweetened hot tea and coffee.
Fresh Stevia leaves add sweetness
to hot liquids. Three tablespoons of chopped fresh Stevia leaves are equal to
about one cup of sugar. If you use two teaspoons of sugar in your coffee, you
should just need a pinch or 1/16 teaspoon of fresh leaf.
You can dry Stevia leaves in a
warm, dark and dry area. Put a rubber band around the stems and hang. Remove
the leaves and store in an airtight container.
When ready to use, grind the leaves
into a fine powder. A coffee or spice grinder is useful for this. Approximately
one tablespoon of dried stevia is equal to one cup of sugar.
Sweetness of leaves vary, so
quantities of dried Stevia powder many need to vary. You should try varied
amounts in your foods.
Links of Interest:
