Stevia, The Amazing Sweet Leaf

Trying to cut down on sugar and calories? Trying to avoid aspartame and other chemical sweeteners? Stevia may be the answer. Stevia rebaudiana is an inconspicuous perennial plant native to subtropical regions of South America. An extract of the sweet component called glycosides is over 200 times sweeter than sugar, but it's OK for diabetics and hypoglycemics as it does not cause swings in blood sugar. It's also virtually calorie free. The intensity of sweetness means you use very little and recipes need to be altered because it doesn't provide the bulk that sugar does. That's why I wrote Stevia Sweet Recipes. Check out some free recipes from the book. You can try your own recipe modifications as well.

If you're a gardener try growing stevia. You can make your own green stevia powder from dried leaves. It's around 10-15 times sweet than sugar, but does have a different taste that takes some getting used to. We like it just fine in many recipes. It's especially good in tea or other drinks. I'm trying stevia plants from several companies this year. I just planted them out two days ago and I am looking forward to finding out which ones taste best and grow best. I'll keep you informed. I'm also continuing research on stevia seed production that I started in college at Northwest Missouri State University with a research project.