Does anyone here grow Stevia?

[punkin]

I'm thinking about growing Stevia in my garden next year. Do you already grow it and if you do, how do you process it?

 

[farmchick]

I grew some stevia last year, just in a pot.
In answer to your question, why couldn't you just dehydrate it? Do you have a food dehydrator? If not you could dehydrate it on a cookie sheet in the oven for 3-4 hours at a low temp of like 105 degrees. After dehydrating it you could then crush it up and keep it in a container.

 

[punkin]

I'm thinking about getting a dehydrator and that just convinces me even more.

 

[holliewould]

I'm thinking about growing Stevia in my garden next year. Do you already grow it and if you do, how do you process it?

I grow it. yes I do. I use it fresh. It's extremely sweet when it's fresh. I use it with mint and puree it in a food processor with lemon or lime and dump it on a salad. Also, I drop the fresh leafs in my coffee or tea. Yummy. Apparently you can put it in a food processor and use it in place of sugars, for like in a brownie recipe. I'm still experimenting myself. But I can assure you, it's extremely sweet with a greenie taste??? Does that make sense? You taste the extreme sweet with a plant taste. Hard to explain. I really like it. eat a leaf, you will see!

 

[holliewould]

Hate to barge in on the thread, but, what about stevia dried? I've never seen it in the super market spice section. Does it still stay sweet when dried?

 

[sht4luck]

i want to grow some to and was woundering how it tasted and was prossesing. thanks for the info. you might not find it in the spices because the FDA made it dietary supplement. that's the only way they can sell it prossed. or so i have read. stinking FDA.