Liquid stevia is derived from the stevia plant, a green herb. Stevia is a natural, zero-calorie alternative to table sugar. Many people use stevia not only because it has no calories but because it is a natural, plant-derived product -- not formulated in a laboratory, as are some artificial sweeteners.
History and Origin
Stevia is a group of about 150 different species; the variety usually singled out for its sweetening capacity is Stevia rebaudiana. This herb was named after the Spanish botanist Dr. Esteve, who first described the plant, and Dr. Rebaudi, who was the first chemist to extract stevioside, the compound responsible for the sweet flavor. The stevia plant is native to South America and has been used as a sweetener since at least the 16th century. Liquid stevia is one of the many forms of extracts from this plant; product packaging usually comes with a convenient dropper to add the liquid to foods.
A Sweeter Sweetener
The sweet component of liquid stevia is called stevioside, a compound significantly sweeter than sucrose, or table sugar. One teaspoon of highly enriched stevioside in powder form is about 300 times sweeter than the same amount of sucrose, so a much smaller amount of stevioside is needed to sweeten foods. Liquid stevia is not pure stevioside, so it is less sweet than the pure crystalline powder. Stevia.net recommends using two to four drops of liquid stevia to equal about 1 tsp. of table sugar.
FDA-Approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the sale and use of liquid stevia and other forms of stevia extracts in the United States. Stevia, once considered an "unsafe food additive," was approved as a dietary supplement in 1995. Under this designation, stevia could by health food stores as a supplement but could not be added to and sold in foods. The FDA finally declared its approval of stevia as a food additive in 2008.
Making Liquid Stevia
Washington State University Extension provides information about growing your own stevia plant and making liquid stevia. The sweetener is obtained from the leaves of the plant after they have been dried. First crush the leaves to make a powder; then add 1 cup of warm water to 1/4 cup of ground, dried stevia leaves. Allowing the water-stevia mixture to sit for 24 hours at room temperature, allowing it to set; it can then be stored in the refrigerator until needed.
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