I just cut the stems off at the bottom (just before they flower which for me in zone 5 is late august), tie them up by the cut ends and hang them outside under the proch until they are dry. Then just run your hands down the stems to remove the leaf pieces and then process them to powder in a coffee grinder. I store in an tupperware container and it seems to keep very well.

I haven't tried to dehydrate individual leaves from successive pickings though.

I simply dry the leaves as I do the pruning, leaving them on the stems, and stripping them off when they're dry. I just put mine on a wire rack covered with some paper towelling (which absorbs moisture and also catches the leaves as they dry), and leave it on my dining table which is close to an outside door. That way, it's in shade, and it gets plenty of air circulation. It only takes a day or two. Then I strip off the leaves, and put them through the food processor until they turn to powder. My food processor came out of the Ark, and the blade is blunt, so it takes a fair while, but if you have a more modern version, it should be faster! Then I store the powder in a glass spice bottle (or any other airight container available), and store it in the pantry where it's away from excess heat and is kept in the dark.

You can put it onto some paper towelling and give it several quick zaps in the microwave if you like, to hasten the process.

I purchased a 3" plant from the nursery this year. I had to transplant it into a huge pot. This plant is almost at 6' tall. Does anyone know if this is normal? It still has not flowered either.
Also, I wanted to know if I should hang it to dry or if I can put it into my dehydrater? Stems and leaves?
Thanks

It's not stevia, that's for sure. Stevia doesn't get more than about 80cm tall (well less than 3ft).

Don't eat it until you get it properly identified.

info was good even tho the OP had the wrong plant

I don't like stevia. It has alot of bad side effects like cancer.

Saccharine IS bad, and has definately been linked to cancers!! Stevia is dirived from a natural leaf.

Herbs77, I'd be very interested to know where you got your information. I've studied scientific reports on stevia from around the world, and have come to the conclusion (as most reports did - the ones that didn't weren't very reliable because of iffy research methods) that stevia is one of the safest herbs around. They've been trying to kill off laboratory animals with the stuff for donkey's years, and the wretched animals just keep on staying healthy!

I'm NOT one of those who thinks in terms of 'it's natural, so it's safe'. I've done a lot of research into herbs, and have learned that herbs can be just as risky to use as conventional medications (in some cases, more so) - which is why I always advocate caution and professional guidance when using herbs. With most herbs, there's a downside as well as an upside. However, I have yet to find any convincing evidence to show the downside to stevia.

The carry-on in America in the early 1990s was a good example of bureaucracy gone crazy. In short, it was a case of the government wanting control of the market, and a hefty slice of the profits from the product. The only way they could do it, was to make false claims about the product. They failed, except in making fools of themselves, and the whole sorry story is now ancient history.

I tend to concentrate my research on more up-to-date investigations.

Although I don't take Wikipedia as gospel truth in all cases, this particular article sums things up pretty well.

Here is a link that might be useful: stevia information

Actually, I have no idea where I got the info. I read somewhere it causes cancer and reduces hormones. It's illegal as a sweetener for a reason.

It was traditionally used in Paraguay and thereabouts as a contraceptive, but there is absolutely no scientific evidence to support its usage for the purpose. There is similarly no scientific evidence to support the claims that it causes cancer.

It is one of the most thoroughly-researched herbs in the world. It has been proven to be safe time and time again. I have no qualms about it whatsoever. And I'm one who has a reputation for being extremely cautious about using herbs!

Stevia, Illegal?? I see it sold everywhere, and even on many web sites, and nature food stores. Saccherin was introduced over 50 years ago, and that should have been taken off the market way back!! Another one called Cyclamates are banned in the US, but are still sold in all other countries. The reason, is the FDA had no real way to test it for cancer causing characteristics, so they just decided to stop its use here, in favor of the more popular but still deadly saccherine!! I used to buy a LOT of cyclamates in Canada and would still use it in my home canning.

Here is a link that might be useful: LOTS of Stevia based products!

This year, for the first time, I grew Stevia in my garden. In the past I had purchased the sweetener in the store and when I found the plant I was so excited that I might be able to create my own supply.
The plants were healthy and beautiful, but I realized I had no idea what to do with the leaves other than crushing a fresh leave and putting in my beverage.
After much searching I found this site with infomation about drying and pulverizing in a coffee grinder.
I dried two batches of stevia stems. One batch was hung to dry, the other batch I put in my dehydrator. I then stripped the leaves and put them in a coffee grinder to create a powder.
The batch from the dehydrator turned a beautiful, rich green, the batch that I hung to dry was a lighter shade of green. What in the world do they do to the stuff they sell in the store for it to be so white?
It looks like a fine powder but when I use in in my drink it doesn't just disappear and the green "float" is not always appetizing. I may need to put it back in the grinder and re-process a little more. Maybe I could mix it in boiling water to create a liquid version. Any ideas?
I have read, one of the great benefits of Stevia is that you are also getting some fiber.

Mary, it will usually have a more bitterness (or the strange aftertaste that they call bitterness), if you use a dehydrator. It is best to hang them to dry for flavor purposes.

I, too, would like to know how they get it white. It doesn't seem "natural" to me....

As for the liquid version, I've wondered about that, too. I would figure you could do the boiling thing, then strain the liquid. I would think it wouldn't last long that way, but it sounds good to me.

Blessings,
Angela

Well, after reading all the old threads (or at least I think), I finally found this posted originally by daisyduckworth:

Tender perennial in warmer climates, treat as an annual in cold areas. Grows to 80cm tall and 60cm wide. Leaves can be from 2-8cm long and 5-30mm across, with gentle serrated edges. The leaves form in whorls on the upright stems. Small white flowers, with a similar appearance to heather, come in clusters on the tips of the stems in summer and autumn.

Propagate by seeds or by tip cuttings taken in summer, or root division in spring. Seeds are notoriously infertile and slow to germinate. Flowering usually occurs 54-104 days after transplanting. The plant is climatically suited to climates from temperate to sub-tropical where temperatures range between 21-43C, with an average of 24°C, but it will also grow in the tropics, where it prefers shade and will also grow in cold climates with winter protection. Plants in the ground have been noted to take minimal frosts. It is a somewhat temperamental plant and may be slow to grow at first. Even in ideal conditions, it is not uncommon for plants to die suddenly or to lose their leaves. As long as the roots are alive, the plant may regrow. Poor, loose, well drained soil is recommended. The plants need to be well-mulched so that surface feeder roots do not dry out. For gardeners in cold climates, it is recommended that plants be started in large pots so that the pot can be moved to a warm verandah in winter. In cold climates, the plant may go dormant to the ground. As stevia does not over-winter outdoors in freezing conditions, the roots are lifted in autumn and stored indoors in perlite or sand and then set outside again in spring. Stevia requires regular watering in dry periods but has poor tolerance to long waterlogging or to saline water or soils. In its natural habitat, the plant occurs naturally on acid soils of 4-5 pH but will grow well on soils up to 9 pH. Leaf yields can be increased with a moderate application of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilisers. Plants also respond well to liquid seaweed as a foliage spray applied fortnightly. As soon as the plant flowers, the leaf production slows down, so it is an advantage to nip off flower buds, to encourage further leaf development. If the plant is left to flower, the tip leaves take on a slightly bitter overtone. Because of its gangly growth, plant several together for support. Plant will die if left go to flower, so it should be cut back repeatedly to prevent flowering.

Harvesting: Collect leaves as required, preferably in autumn. They can be dried and powdered.

Culinary Uses: Use dried, powdered leaves as a substitute for sugar. One tablespoon of stevia or less is equivalent to about 1 cup sugar. Some people notice a slight after-taste, while others do not. A liquid sweetener is made by pouring 1 litre boiling water over 1 tablespoon dried leaves and leaving to infuse. Refrigerate and use within a few days or freeze for later. To make a syrup, place 4 teaspoons dried powdered leaves in a saucepan with 2 cups water, simmer slowly for 10-15 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. A teaspoon of Vitamin C powder may be added to act as a preservative. An infusion of fresh or dried leaves can be drunk as a beverage, hot or cold, or added to other herbs as a sweetener. If using fresh leaves to replace dried quantities listed above, multiply the amount 5 times. Approximately 6 large leaves chopped finely is a substitute for 1/2 cup of sugar for baking or in cooked recipes. 1 teaspoon of ground stevia is equal to 1 cup of sugar; 2 drops of liquid essence is equal to 1 teaspoon sugar. An extract can be made by combining 1 cup vodka with 3/4 cup fresh stevia leaves in a jar. Shake every day for 2 weeks, then filter through a coffee filter. Add a drop to beverages.

From my own experience of growing Stevia, I've learned to remove the flowers as they appear - otherwise the plant will die down to nothing. I've also found that it's a cantankerous plant which can often die down to nothing for no apparent reason, even in ideal conditions. But you never give up on it! You can have an empty space or pot for up to a year, and then suddenly the plant will resurrect! Amazing.

Sweetness can vary from 10-600 times sweeter than sugar, dependent on a range of factors from soil, climate, time of harvest and many others.

It is NOT a true substitute for sugar in all recipes. It does not dissolve, it does not make a syrup. Consider it as a flavouring, much as you would vanilla.

To be honest, I don't like the taste of it, or rather, the earthy after-taste it has. Some people don't mind it, though.

----------------------

Thanks for the great info! I've found that if you use the EXACT right proportion by testing and testing to find the right sweetness, that you can almost eliminate the aftertaste because using more than an average sweetness level brings out the aftertaste badly and not enough leaves the item not tasting sweet. I have also found that you need to let it sit for a couple of days in a beverage for it's sweetness to get to its full potential. If you have the right sweetness one day, a couple days later it will be much sweeter after it's been left to sit in the fridge, so either use the item you made with it immediately or plan to use less stevia than you originally would have because it will get sweeter.

Also, the aftertaste can be lessened by how you harvest it. Don't let it go to flower or it increases the aftertaste.

Blessings,
Angela

Hi,

does anyone know if the store bought liquid can go bad? I ask because I have used it in my tea for years, and lately the tea has not been tasting good at all. I use filtered water and ruled out the milk and tea (by test). So then I stopped using the stevia, my least suspect, and the tea tasted much better. I keep it refrigerated most of the time, per instructions for longevity. Thanks for any thoughts, Sanna

Could be the method used to liquify it. A white powder version is the most purest, then the greenish one, then liquid. The liquid may have added preservatives, but because its liquid and has water and may other things it can lose its quality. If it suggests refrigeration, then thats a good indication it can degrade. I don't think powdered versions have exp. dates.

This is mostly to midnytmary but I hope the whole community can get some use from it. It's not as short as I originally intended but I do hope it's informative enough to justify the length.
Refining Stevia powder to a pure white is nearly an industrial trick. The current state of the art requires either an absorption or column extraction step followed by at least three filtering stages from micro to nano filters. That's something probably beyond most kitchens unless yours happens to be in a well stocked, well funded laboratory.
But there are a couple suggestions which might cut down the bitter taste, lighten the color and probably increase the concentration.
First make an alcohol extraction for two to three days (with periodically shaking the jar) followed by filtering through a coffee filter or fine cloth to remove the solids. 1 & 1/2 times as much alcohol as the (hopefully air dried, preflower) crushed leaves but enough to cover it well is generally a good mix for most extraction work.
The stronger the alcohol content, the better the extraction. But it will also extract a lot of the tannins, bioflavonoids, chlorophyll and natural waxes which make the leaf green.
Again, the higher the alcohol content, the more of all elements it will extract. Which can be good if you want the nutritive value and fiber of the extra non sweet elements but not so much if you want to get rid of the aftertaste they cause..
If using 190 proof Everclear or something even more pure, cut it with an equal amount of (distilled or pure) water AFTER the extraction. The alcohol can be cooked off by slowly raising the temperature of the extract to below boiling. You'll be able to tell when it starts happening as you will see what appears to be steam coming off the top long before the water boils.
If possible, hold that temperature for 10 to 20 minutes depending on the volume of liquid and the concentration of alcohol you used. Pure alcohol will leave nothing but dry gunk in the bottom once it is all gone since there was never any water in it to begin with. Nearly the same for high octane Everclear which only has 5% water at the start.
Hence the suggestion to add water before heating. Use your nose to tell you when you can no longer smell any alcohol coming off the heated solution. Then add fresh (distilled or pure) water to the original level and bring back up to the same temperature you used to remove the alcohol.
Since Stevia is soluble in water but many of the waxes are not you can now filter it again as before. Cooling it first in the refrigerator might work better since more of the wax and other elements will drop out of suspension in cold water where they might well remain in suspension in hot water. That should allow more to be caught in the filtering process though you might loose some yield in the Stevia as well.
From there it is only a matter of heating down (but not boiling) the final filtered product until very little water is left. But not completely dry anywhere in the pan. You can let the rest dry on its own or set up a fan to blow across the top of whatever you have it in to let it air dry. Just don't blow directly on it or it will begin sweetening the air as the dried Stevia blows out.
Much the same can be done using only a hot water extract. The amount of Stevia you will extract will likely be less than with alcohol but you will also get less of the other elements to have to filter out later.
In dry form the final product should be lighter in color and much of the after taste removed though probably not all. And it should keep as well or better than the ground full leaf since much of what can spoil has been removed.
It can also be reconstituted as a liquid in three ways. Dissolving it in warm clean water is the easiest. But it should be kept refrigerated. And if you are not going to use it all within three days I'd throw in some Ascorbic Acid as an antimicrobial agent to extend its life.
If you have any alcohol left it will dissolve readily in that as well. It is a good antiseptic but some people object to alcohol. If so, a bit of boiling water just before use will pretty much remove the alcohol from the mix.
My favorite is to mix it in vegetable glycerine. It is a natural antibacterial which has a fairly strong and nice tasting sweetness in its own right (a tablespoon = about 1/4 cup sugar). It works well to hold the Stevia in suspension. Plus it is also very low calorically with minimal to no insulin reactivity. And its own sweetness helps mask any bitter left in the Stevia.
One final note. Stevia is not really zero calorie. It's just that our digestive tracts are not able to absorb the sugar content which passes on through. That's also why it is not insulin reactive. If it can't get in, it can't cause a reaction or add to the calorie count. So we get all the fun of the sweet taste in the mouth without the consequences.
But the range of human variation being what it is, some small amount of people might be able to assimilate it which is why you won't find anybody official who is willing to claim the zero calorie count or diabetic safe factors as absolute. There might even be a very small percent who find some intestinal discomfort in trying to deal with it. Much the same as has been found true with Zylotol.
Some of these techniques I mentioned here I've tried on other extractions but not all on Stevia. So feel free to experiment and I hope it helps. Sorry it took so many words to put it all together. Hope it's not too much.

Purchased stevia plants locally. Does anyone know whether stevia can be grown in a container to keep stems from being broken by high winds, or indoors with grow lights?

kiawb28
I think you can grow it in container. It will get as big and as bushy like a basil. You will need to stake them.
One plant per 5-gal bucket is good.

BAD CLAIMS !!!!
THERE HAS BEEN NO EVIDENCE OF ANY negative SIDE EFFECTs.
I has been widely studied for decades and USDA finally approved
its commercial use, in Dec. 08.

OTHER BENEFITS:
CAN BE USED AS AN HELP TO REDUCE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.I likethat one.

DRYING:
I dry them by bunching, hanging upside down. I separate the dried leaves and grind in my coffe grinder. Store in jar or ziplock bag.

I do not throw away the stems but also grind them in my coffee mill and mix it with my ground coffee. The stems have some sweetness as well, why waste?