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Stevia Plant

SherryRH
SherryRH Posts: 810 Member
in Social Groups
Being diabetic and a chocolate/cake/cookie/candy (you get the idea) lover is a difficult combination. I have been looking into a making my own sweetner from the stevia plant. Has anyone tried this? If so, what were your results? My husband and I are gardeners/farmers during the summer so buying a plant for $1.78 and experimenting seems worth it.

Replies

  • kcaffee1
    kcaffee1 Posts: 759 Member
    I haven't tried drying my own, but I do use the stevia sweetners. If you have some good results growing the plant, PLEASE let me know! I'd love to get a few going in my garden, because I prefer to grow my herbs instead of buying them. (first attempt at growing it was a massive failure!)
  • SherryRH
    SherryRH Posts: 810 Member
    I also found a site where it gave instructions on how to make an extract from the plant. I am going to try that as well.
  • jrrrbear48
    jrrrbear48 Posts: 3 Member
    eh hay hey! send us the link, i am up for experiments ha. for me i have gone to *cool-aid and Splenda, which i drink at least a gallon of a day. ha.

    ps: Winco has a sale going on cool aid, only a dime a pack. just saying ♥
  • kcaffee1
    kcaffee1 Posts: 759 Member
    When I stepped off of the soda wagon, I found myself replacing it with the premade carbonated flavored waters for about $.40 more per bottle, so I started looking for alternatives. Now, I have a carbonator, and use the juice packets for flavoring. Wish some of the sugar free koolaid flavors looked interesting. We just have limeaids (which get boring after a few weeks) or the really sweet stuff. And, sweet drinks don't appeal any more.
  • SherryRH
    SherryRH Posts: 810 Member
    I wasn't thinking more for sodas but more for sweetening my baked goods and things like that.

    http://www.commonsensehome.com/stevia-grow-your-own-sweetener

    that above is one link I found. When I did a google search on how to make extract from a stevia plant all kinds of things came up. Even youtube videos. I like experimenting so hopefully this one will be a success!
  • tonyoconnor129
    tonyoconnor129 Posts: 46 Member
    Before Stevia became approved as a sweetener by the FDA (Big Sugar was fighting THAT tooth and nail)
    it was only available as a "dietary supplement" which I tried. I found it to be grassy tasting, though quite sweet.
    I switched from equal to splenda. I did try Truvia when it came out, but it is not a pure Stevia product. Recently I have cut all artificial and processed sweeteners out of my diet completely, because
    I found that I have no self control. I see things that say "No Sugar Added" and Sweetened with Splenda and I ignore
    the words "not a low calorie food." So I eat a carton of sugar free vanilla wafers or choc chip cookies from Voorman's and wonder why my BGL is topping 200.
    I have found that life continues without the sweets, but I am looking into some recipes that use dates as the sweetener.
    As soon as I find a supply of dates I'm gonna try them out.
    I'm even finding that black coffee is good. Of course you won't get my coffee away from me. I quit smoking in my twenties.
    I gave up sugar. For all intents and purposes I am a non drinker- a glass of beer once every other month, maybe 2. And I have had no beer since January. The Dr saying the word "Insulin" scared the $h!+ out of me...And I am REAL focused on eating healthy and moving...

    You can't have my coffee.

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