Stevia as an Herb
Speaking of sweetening tea, does anyone put the stevia leaf in tea instead of the crystals or liquid? I would be game for trying that.
Sometimes I put a pinch of stevia leaf in my infuser with the loose tea. Have also used it in homemade blends. If a very sweet taste is desired, don’t use stevia as the sole sweetener. A light touch is required. Just a bit too much stevia can interfere with the tea flavor by being unnaturally sweet, or by bringing a licorice-like flavor along with it. So err on the side of too little, because you can always add more later (but getting it out – that’s another story). For adding sweetness without changing the flavor, I recommend light agave syrup, white sugar, or Splenda.
I use stevia in tea sometimes as well. Usually only if I have a sweet tooth, but don’t want the sugar buzz. Or in sub-par tea. Have to be very careful. It’s nice if you can sweeten to 80% of desired flavor with stevia and finish off with a bit of honey or agave. This way you get the sweet without the weird flavor.
Licorice??? OH NO! Maybe my idea isn’t as good as I thought it was… that’s why I stay away from some chai’s, I HATE licorice/anise/fennel.
I hate all of those things too but I don’t think you can taste them in most chais. I personally love chai tea!
Does anyone grow stevia?
I was, from the seed, and it was going swimmingly until one day I found that all the new little sprouts had mysteriously disappeared. They were so small, I didn’t think something could have eaten them. I will have to buy more seeds and try to grow them again indoors.
I bought some plants when I got my tomato plants this spring. It just starting to get bushy enough that I want to start harvesting it. I was hoping more Steepsters had experience with this plant. I’ve been using the “less is more” rule but it is still pretty sweet.
I used to grow stevia. It’s not hard. But it’s not all that satisfying either.
I’m really not a grow-plants-from-seed sort of person. I bought a small stevia plant from a nursery, repotted it and let it grow from there. But if you’re interested in stevia seeds, I believe Burpee has some. Also Whole Foods occasionally carries stevia seeds.
Do you buy it in powder form? I tried to grow it last year without much luck but saw at Planter’s so I decided to try again. This year it is growing very well. I read about drying it so I’ve tried both fresh and dried. I did notice that licorice-type flavor more with the fresh.
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