We have had some chilly nights and sunny days. Stevia’s shelf-life is long and that container lasts us about 1 year or more. To make liquid stevia, dissolve 1/4 cup pure homegrown stevia powder with 1 cup hot filtered water. ), pulled the branches apart air dried them for two or three days until crisp, picked the leaves off and filled a pint jar with it and put a few leaves in a tiny jar (original contents pimentoes) that he could keep air tight. The good thing about stevia is … It’s about 100 to 300 times sweeter than table sugar, but it has no carbohydrates, calories, or artificial ingredients. Just a few drops in my iced tea and it tastes just like southern sweet tea, without all the calories! In South American countries, this popular herb has been used for thousands of years as a sweetener. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. This is a 100% safe sweetener, truly natural (and Paleo). And we use stevia a lot. Yes, but you’ll need to break them apart to get the sweetness so it might not work out the way you would like if your freeze the leaves. Now that you know how to grow stevia and use it, will you be adding it to your garden this year? You can grow stevia and preserve it yourself for a fraction of the price of the commercially processed product. Leaves dry quickly, usually in a day. Store the powder in an air-tight container. Thanks However you might not have luck with reviving it if it’s in a pot. My friend put about 4~5 leaves (after he “dried” them, of course) into the “coffee filter” instead of coffee grounds and then he pretended it was “coffee grounds” and turned the machine on, lol…and when he was done, he called it Liquid Stevia Extract . They should be good for about 12 months. Use the powder in recipes that call for a sweetener, but make adjustments in the amount used due to its dense sweetness. Store whole dried stevia leaves in a cool dark place, such as in a cupboard. This refined stevia looks similar to sugar, and can be used anywhere you would normally use powdered sweetener. NOW® BetterStevia® is a zero-calorie, low glycemic, certified organic sweetener that makes a perfectly healthy substitute for table sugar and artificial sweeteners. Also, days to maturity? . NuNaturals NuStevia White Stevia Powder is the perfect all-purpose sweetener. They can be crumbled, chopped or powdered. I love the idea of Stevia Syrup and I will be trying it! Use a lightweight blanketing material (available from most gardening stores) over the tops of the plants. Concerns about stevia have settle, he uses an organic powdered extract, and is quite content with it as his beverage sweetener. I tend to harvest mine before cooler temperatures set in. To continue your harvest, just pinch out early blooms. Last Updated: September 6, 2019 You can cut off the desired stems from the plant and bundle them in small bundles (less than 1 inch in diameter) and hang dry, and strip the leaves after they have dried. I grew a handsome stevia plant in zone 5, harvested it at flowering and after a good rinse (city living! Stevioside is 250 times sweeter than table sugar. days to germination is about 7-21 and days to maturity vary as well – 75-100 days. It is a perennial that will come back next year is planted properly. You can keep it inside as long as it has sun, water and fertilizer. I plan to dehydrate the leaves, and appreciate you sharing this great info. Store the powdered sweetener in an airtight container. Stir and leave out at room temperature for 24 hours. Unlike chemical sweeteners, NOW® BetterStevia® contains pure Stevia extract. Hi Amity, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. It does not like to have “wet feet” so if growing in a container make sure there is plenty of drainage. Turns out powder from the real stevia plant is a far cry from the “stevia” found in nearly every food product on store shelves. A dehydrator could be used for leaf drying, or if you have a lot of stems, plants can be dried in the sun and then threshed to separate the sweet leaves from the bitter stems. I have been plucking a leaf off and putting in my ice tea for sweetener. Maltodextrin and Stevia Extract: Our White Stevia Powder contains maltodextrin, a tasteless food-grade carbohydrate derived from non-GMO corn. Plant Stevia seed in late winter. Stevia is a herb originating from South America where the locals use the leaves to sweeten up their foods. A bottle lasts me about 3 weeks. To overwinter in zone 7 and below: after harvesting, bring the plant inside the house and water weekly. I’m curious as to why you want take it from Flagstaff to Tucson, then replant it in Flagstaff again? Crush dry leaves to a powder or powder … I just realized it appears to be drying out. How To Grow Stevia and Preserve Stevia Leaf. Make Stevia Into Syrup. Fertilizer requirements: Stevia plants respond well to organic fertilizers and compost since they release nitrogen slowly. Use a mesh screen or grind them in a food processor or coffee grinder. Alternatively, wash them with soap or disinfectant and hot water. Be careful not to boil. If the plant is dead you might not be able to use the leaves. Lay them out in a well-ventilated area, or chop the plants off at the base and hang them whole from a rafter. Take 2 cups of warm water and add it to half a cup of dried stevia leaves. Shake the mixture well and let it sit for no more than 36 hours (it will become bitter if you steep it longer than 36 hours). All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. I have used dried up leaves and as long as they are green they still had some flavour but not black or slimey. According to The University of Kentucky Extension office in their publication Stevia, aphids and white flies can become a serious problem on stevia in greenhouses. Perhaps the easiest way to preserve your stevia leaves is to make an extract. % of people told us that this article helped them. I tried it this year in canada in a pot. Really informative article! Can Stevie leaves be frozen and then used in tea or coffee? Height: 20-30 inches, however, with the right conditions your plant may reach 48-60 inches. Store your stevia powder in an air-tight container. So don’t give up, Mama. I have a nice crop dried in the sun now and will try to “thresh” them. Measuring Stevia PURE Extract Powder. (Half Pint) canning jar loosely to the top with crushed stevia leaves (Fresh or dried, but not powdered).2. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/2\/22\/Harvest-Stevia-Step-1.jpg\/v4-460px-Harvest-Stevia-Step-1.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/2\/22\/Harvest-Stevia-Step-1.jpg\/aid10153442-v4-728px-Harvest-Stevia-Step-1.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"