The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved stevia as a sweetener in 2008, after several years of allowing it only as a dietary supplement. Stevia has been used in one form or another as a sweetener for centuries in South America and is now becoming more common in other countries. It has been used in Japan for several years. Stevia is used in sodas, baked goods and by itself as a substitute for sucrose sweeteners.
Sucrose
Sucrose is another name for plain sugar, the same kind you add to cakes and stir into coffee. Sucrose can be broken down into simpler sugars known as fructose and glucose. Sucrose itself is derived from sugar cane and sugar beets and is also found in fruit and honey.
Stevia Plant
Stevia is a sugar substitute derived from the crushed leaves of a South American plant, Stevia rebaudiana. It is considered a perennial herb and grows up to 3 feet tall. The plant is not aromatic but does produce white flowers in summer. The leaves can be crushed into powder or mixed with water to form an extract that can be used as a substitute for sugar.
Advantages and Disadvantages
One of stevia's main selling points is its intense sweetness, considered to be anywhere from 250 to 300 times more than sucrose. Another advantage is that it doesn't affect blood sugar levels. At the same time, it lacks the caramelizing and browning power of sugar in baked goods. Texas A&M's Agrilife Extension Service warns that if you have diabetes or high blood pressure and are taking medications for these conditions, you must be careful when using stevia because it might increase the risk of low blood sugar or low blood pressure. Check with your doctor before starting to use stevia to verify that it will be safe for you to do so.
Considerations
It is possible to bake with stevia, but depending on whom you look to for advice, you may be able to substitute stevia for only part of the sugar in a recipe. Kansas State University recommends mixing it with sugar, but Charlotte Bradley, a columnist with What's Cooking America, says you can bake with stevia as long as you add more liquid or liquidlike bulk. She says to increase the amount of liquid by 1/3 cup for each 1 cup of sugar that you replace with stevia, and suggests that fruit purees, yogurt or more of whatever liquid is already called for in the recipe will do.
Caution
Stevia has the unexpected tendency to make foods taste bitter if you use too much, rather than making the foods taste overly sweet. Always start small. Add a small amount of stevia to a product and taste before adding more. Stop adding stevia when the flavor reaches an acceptable sweetness level. If you can detect any bitterness, you've added too much. Write down how much stevia you used along with the type and amount of food, so you don't have to guess or retest the next time you prepare that food. For example, one packet per 1 cup of plain yogurt, or two drops per 1/2 cup of unsweetened soy milk. Kansas State University suggests looking for brands that contain more steviosides, which should reduce the bitterness.
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