Grow your own sugar!
Well – not really sugar, but sweetener for sure. Stevia has become pretty popular over the last several years and here’s why.
- Stevia has no calories
- Stevia is nearly 30 times sweeter than cane sugar. Roughly, one teaspoonful of dried leaves powder is equivalent to one cup of sugar
- Stevia has many natural anti-oxidants that help lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and control diabetes.
- The study of the journal Appetite found people did not overeat after consuming a meal made with stevia instead of sugar. Their blood sugar was lower after a meal made with stevia than after eating a meal with sugar, and eating food with stevia resulted in lower insulin levels than eating either sucrose and aspartame.
- Stevia extract has been in use by native South Americans to reduce weight; to treat wound infections, inflammatory conditions, swelling in the legs and as a tonic to treat depression.
How to Grow
Stevia grows best in warm conditions, though I have grown it in Northeast Ohio without a problem. It reaches heights of 16 – 24 inches. Plant in well-drained beds or large containers. Three to five plants, dried, can supply a nice amount for a year.
I admit that starting my seeds in pots was not easy. I ended up buying plants. I have read it is best to start other plants from cuttings and to keep plants from seeds sown in late winter under bright lights until the weather warms in spring.
Once weather conditions allow, pick a well-drained spot and place plants two feet apart. If summer turns extremely hot, some afternoon shade should be available, otherwise stevia grows in full sun.
Stevia will grow into a tall, upright plant with tiny white flowers in late summer. If you intend to use your plant for harvesting and drying, prune it through the season to encourage branching out starting when it is about 8 – 10 inches tall, probably late spring. Prune again in early summer or perhaps mid summer. You can root these leaves in moist potting soil to increase your sweet population!
Use fresh leaves placed in your tea or hot beverage to sweeten them. These also make fun plants for kids who can grow them in their own garden and pick the leaves to chew on during the summer. And of course drying the leaves and crushing them with a mortar and pestle then storing in airtight containers will allow for home use over the winter.
When choosing a store bought variety of stevia – beware! Not all those marked ‘natural,’ ‘pure,’ or ‘wholesome’ are even close to that. Read your labels! Avoid any made with Rebaudioside A or Reb A, dextrose, silica, cellulose powder or natural flavors.
Three brands which are acceptable include SweetLeaf Stevia Powder by Wisdom Naturals, Trader Joe’s own brand, both of which I have used and like the taste of, and another brand, Mood & Mind Stevia Extract which can be found on Amazon along with the Sweetleaf brand. Trader Joe’s is available in their stores.
Cooking with Stevia
Though I am not really a baker, I do use stevia in both my herb teas and in my oatmeal. I found this recipe on the Sweetleaf website , along with several others, and think I may have my sister try it! Yes, I am lazy…
Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 tsp. SugarLeaf™
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Start off by creaming 1 cup of butter and 6 teaspoons of SugarLeaf™. Next, add 1 egg to the butter and SugarLeaf mixture. A little at a time, add 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon of salt, 3/4 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. After everything is blended well, add 1 1/4 cups of chocolate chips, flatten each cookie on the cookie sheet and bake at 350oF for a little less than 6 minutes (or until golden brown). Makes 24.
Have you ever grown stevia? Do you use a store bought variety? Do you have a recipe to share? Let us know in the comments below!