Stevia

[LVVCHAP]

Anyone grow and use Stevia? I saw it in one of my seed catalogs and have some relatives that are diabetic.

 

[RustyDHart]

Stevia has information under the "Herb" area.... I grow it and love it.....

 

[Ariel301]

I attempted it last year, but I got a bad plant. It was sort of sweet but had a bitter aftertaste. I'm going to try again though.

 

[Greenthumb18]

I grew the herb Stevia one year. It has an almost green chemically aftertaste, but it does have a sweet taste to it. And its not a hardy herb, only hardy in zones 9 - 11.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

I have grown Stevia for three years and will not grow any more. No mater how I try to prepare it to use as a sweetener it tastes terrible.

 

[rebbetzin]

I attempted it last year, but I got a bad plant. It was sort of sweet but had a bitter aftertaste. I'm going to try again though.

My Stevia plant is now about 5 years old. It dies back in the winter, comes back each spring. But, it has always had a bitter, chemical type aftertaste. I think, that is normal... Very sweet, then a bit bitter. It tastes very much like the commercial Stevia extracts.

I have used it in tea, and in fruit salads, but you just have to be aware of the bitter aftertaste. It is the same with the Stevia extracts I have tried.

 

[Ariel301]

I attempted it last year, but I got a bad plant. It was sort of sweet but had a bitter aftertaste. I'm going to try again though.

My Stevia plant is now about 5 years old. It dies back in the winter, comes back each spring. But, it has always had a bitter, chemical type aftertaste. I think, that is normal... Very sweet, then a bit bitter. It tastes very much like the commercial Stevia extracts.

I have used it in tea, and in fruit salads, but you just have to be aware of the bitter aftertaste. It is the same with the Stevia extracts I have tried.

I've never tried the commercial ones. I think it would be pretty good mixed with tea to brew a sweet tea, the tea taste should hide the bitterness.

 

[kyle]

we have had bad luck with seeds. both our own seeds and commercial seeds. luckily they are easy from cutting

the taste, guess its an acquired one. it is WONDERFUL in teas, including herbal teas. Mix some up in a favourite mint tea and sit by the fire

If you dont like this, or sugar, try licorice root. real licorice tastes nothing like that weird black candy crap...

 

[thistlebloom]

I dried some of my stevia and ground it up in my little coffee grinder to add to my mint tea and it was great. Didn't notice any bitter after taste, but I didn't when it was fresh either,( maybe my taste buds are a little, uh, challenged). And I love licorice tea, my mom used to buy us a dried root at the fair to chew on while we walked around.
I confess to also liking the "weird black candy crap " if you make it the aussie style .

 

[Ariel301]

I dried some of my stevia and ground it up in my little coffee grinder to add to my mint tea and it was great. Didn't notice any bitter after taste, but I didn't when it was fresh either,( maybe my taste buds are a little, uh, challenged). And I love licorice tea, my mom used to buy us a dried root at the fair to chew on while we walked around.
I confess to also liking the "weird black candy crap " if you make it the aussie style .

I've heard that some strains have the bitterness and others don't.
I like black licorice candy also. Never had the real thing though.