Stevia is an herb that is native to Paraguay and Brazil. Stevia has a natural sweetness that allows it to be used as a sweetener in many beverages and food items. Stevia extract is available in both liquid and powder forms. Stevia powder is available in two forms, a powder made from ground stevia leaves and a more refined form.
Production
The simplest form of stevia extract powder is produced by simply grinding the leaves of the stevia plant. This produces a powder that is very raw and greenish in color. A more refined version of stevia powder is the type most commonly found in retail stores. Production of stevia powder involves grinding the raw stevia leaves, extracting water, purifying the powder and decolorizing to produce the refined white powder commercially available.
Availability
Stevia powder can be found in natural food stores and some grocery stores across the country. The powder can also be ordered online through various natural food suppliers. Individuals can also make their own stevia powder from stevia leaves, however this form is time consuming and will vary from the refined form most often found in retail stores.
Usage
Stevia extract powder has a variety of uses. Stevia powder can be used as a sweetener in beverages and food items and can be substituted for regular cane sugar in many recipes. Refined stevia is a zero calorie sweetener which makes it an excellent option for those wishing to watch their weight. Stevia also has less of an effect on blood sugar levels than regular sugar, making it a better sweetener option for diabetic individuals.
Special Considerations
Although stevia can be used in place of sugar as a sweetener in many recipes there are some differences between the two that must be noted. First, stevia is much sweeter than sugar thus it takes much less stevia than sugar to provide the same sweetness in recipes. Stevia does not caramelize like sugar thus making caramels and meringues with stevia will be unsuccessful. Also, yeast breads will not be successful with stevia because the yeast requires sugar in some form for activation. Lastly, it is important to note that baked goods made with stevia will not brown the same as those made with regular sugar.
Member Comments