I use it in everything.. my coffee, cooking, baking the lot.... I came off the manufactured sweetener years ago and just love Stevia
I'm planning to grow Sweet Cicely this year to go along with my Rhubarb and Gooseberry bushes I have heard it imparts a subtle aniseed flavour to the food. I got some seeds from a seller on eBay (seekay I believe) so I'm going to mix them with some damp sand and pop them in the fridge to stratify them for a few weeks before sowing them in March, wish me luck
We've had a number of threads on this subject. I've been using it for well over 20 years. I used to buy it from Switzerland, Canada or Hawaii but now buy it from mainland U.S.A. Some years back Stevia was banned by the EU so it stopped being sold in this country. The ban was because a (nameless ) company put in an application for it to become a food additive and sent in the research that was required under the law. On those results the EU inspector said he had no choice but to ban it as their test showed that it had an effect on the reproduction system of the rats that it was tested on. He added that he was unhappy with the results because the company had used stevia in concentrations ten times those required for testing (already 100 times normal strength) and that they had only used one breed of rat (that was particularly prone reproductive problems) instead of three different breeds. I was partly responsible for this being reviewed and eventually it being able to be put back on the market. The (conspiracy ) theory is that the company that put in the initial research was a well known artificial sweetener company that was trying to get the product banned. When the ban was rescinded (took about ten years) all the sweetener companies started making 'Stevia' products. All of them are not just Stevia but now contain artificial sweeteners as well. So it's best to read the label for the ingredients. The purified extract of Stevia rebaudiana (stevioside) is what is now used in almost all products and has been tested in labs all round the world and shown to be safe. The use of crushed leaves (I used to grow it and use it that way) has not been tested quite so rigorously but is still sold in some shops. It has been used for 400 years in S. America. Some of the various products do have a slightly bitter taste. I prefer mine in liquid form and to not have artificial sweetener in it, and I don't find any bitter taste in it. So I import mine from America. It does have an additive, vegetable glycerine (and water - as it's liquid) which also has a natural, slightly sweet taste. The glycerine helps stop it from evaporating and makes it thicker and easier to use. I find this the best product out of all of them. The manufacturer doesn't have an outlet in this country so I buy it over the internet. I would ignore whatever amount of drops they say should be put in your tea/coffee and foods and just adjust to your own taste. I use one drop in a cup of tea which I reckon is equivalent to about a third to a half of a teaspoon of sugar. They say put five drops in your coffee! This is what I buy:- http://www.vitacost.com/vitacost-stevia-extract-4-fl-oz-2 The 4oz bottle lasts me about six months but I use it mainly for my tea, porridge and just occasionally for cooking. I buy six bottles at a time as it saves on postage.
Yes, we used to grow it. Not difficult but not worth bothering. In S. America they just add the leaf to food or steep in drinks. This can result in a slightly bitter taste. For commercial use they extract the chemical from the leaf through distillation.
@shiney, I've just taken a look at your link and may have a go of this one as at the moment I use 'Truvia' and like yourself only use the tip of a teaspoon to sweeten my tea/coffee so thank you for the link and information
Truvia has erythritol (a sweetener processed from corn starch) as its main ingredient and not Stevia and it also has added 'natural flavours'
@shiney Funny you should say that ...... I only use this one in my tea/coffee and use Simply Wholesome Stevia in cooking and baking as its a bit trumpy Erythritol is naturally found in the body and also occurs naturally in pears, soy sauce, wine, sake, watermelon and grapes. I agree it is not as sweet as Stevia and that is why its blended with Stevia. Also as you mention it has NATURAL flavours Erythritol:Fermented – it is made by fermenting the natural sugar found in corn.Heat stable up to 160 degrees C.Non-caloric – While most sugar alcohols are low calorie, erythritol has zero calories.Non-glycemic - Does not raise blood sugar – erythritol is considered suitable for people with diabetes because it does not raise plasma glucose or insulin levels.The easiest sugar alcohol to digest – more than 90% of erythritol is absorbed in the small intestine, so minimal amounts reach the colon where other sugar alcohols end up causing diarrhea and other symptoms. Studies have shown that erythritol is even easier to digest than xylitol.Noncarcinogenic– studies have shown that erythritol, like xylitol, does not have carcinogenic properties.An antioxidant – erythritol helps to fight free radicals, responsible for the aging process. It is considered to be even more efficient than other sugar alcohols because it is so readily absorbed and yet not metabolized (it is excreted unchanged). Erythritol has the status of generally recognized as safe (GRAS) from the FDA and is widely used in many other countries like Japan, the European Union, Mexico and Canada. I like Truvia as it tastes great in my tea/coffee, but very interested in your link
Erythritol acts like left-handed sugars and isn't absorbed by the body so is non-fattening and, supposedly, non-toxic for diabetics. Left-handed sugars go right through the body without absorption. The manufacturers don't define what the 'natural flavours' are! I'm not sure why they would want to put 'natural flavours' into a sweetening product.
I use Stevia,I just go to Tescos and buy it already processed in a jar for my cereals etc.Tried Tescos own brand which was cheaper but didn't think it was that good so have gone back to buying the more expensive one and will stick with that
