# stevia



## greif (May 31, 2009)

is there any brand of stevia that does not have an after taste/ funny taste too it?

thanks


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## Forest Breath (Oct 23, 2009)

I grow Stevia in my herb garden and use it straight from the plant. I have used the kind from the health food store as well. It seems straight from the plant does not have as bad an after taste as what you buy that is processed. I simply picked a few leaves and added it to my tea, oatmeal, etc and it worked fine. You can dry and powder it yourself. It ends up green and the green bits so not always dissolve well in liquids, but you get used to it.


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## marinemomtatt (Oct 8, 2006)

I second what Forest Breath writes...I don't see the point of using a heavily processed product when the benefits of using what Nature intended is perfection! For tea the Stevia goes into the tea ball, for other things I want sweetened, such as oatmeal (steelcut) I infuse the water with Stevia before adding it to the pan of oats.


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

For me, even the fresh stuff has an unpleasant, earthy after-taste, but not all people notice it. I think it's something you probably get used to. 

I agree that 'fresh is best' when it comes to stevia.


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

I have been buying it in the health food store (in blue box) for years , before the craze started. I like it & have never had an after taste at all. I REALLY want to grow some started . I hope tu put the leaves in the dehydrator. Do I get seeds from y'all? or what?


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## greif (May 31, 2009)

mullberry, what brand is that?


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

greif said:


> mullberry, what brand is that?


The name on the box is 
NuNaturals. 
I like it . I wish one of these plant people would share some seeds.
D


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## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

I read in one of Dr Oz's books that this creates infertility in men? Has anyone heard
of any possible side effects of this yet?


Stephanie


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## GoatsRus (Jan 19, 2003)

I use the organic ground stevia from Mountain Rose Herbs. It's green and I put about a 1/3 of a cup in a pan of water and let it sit over night. I then strain the water (which is a greenish brown) into a carafe. I use the liquid to sweeten my coffee. It does have an after taste, but after all these years, I don't notice it anymore.


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## Old Mission (Dec 26, 2009)

Old Mission said:


> I read in one of Dr Oz's books that this creates infertility in men? Has anyone heard
> of any possible side effects of this yet?
> 
> 
> Stephanie



or maybe it was agave, I know it was one of the newer ones out.


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## greif (May 31, 2009)

funny thing is some of the artifical sweeteners have teribile aftertastes and some people love that.... i don't understand them


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## gryndlgoat (May 27, 2005)

There are a number of bitter flavored compounds in Stevia. A number of breeding programs up here in Canada (and probably elsewhere) are working at eliminating them. There are more varieties around now, so keep an eye out.

http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X6031

This is a great variety! I tried this one two years ago, then this year I bought a "generic" version. The taste difference was clear. Barely any aftertaste in the Crazy Sweet. Richter's ships to the US, I think, but there may be US sources out there too. 

Once you have one plant, its easy to propagate from cuttings (actually easier than from seed, as the seeds don't germinate all that well).


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

Well, I finally jumped on the bandwagon and picked up a box of truvia tonight. Have to say, I'm slightly disappointed with the product. The box holds packets like you're accustomed to getting sugar in. Packaging states that 1 packet equals 2 teaspoons of sugar. Which is exactly what I use in my cup of coffee. Tried one packet and tasted it. Was like drinking regular coffee with an added dull aftertaste. Put in another packet and though slightly sweeter, but nothing like two teaspoons of sugar, the aftertaste was much more noticeable. Maybe I was just expecting too much or the truvia is just not a good product. Has anyone else compared stevia leaves to the truvia?


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## culpeper (Nov 1, 2002)

The sweetness of stevia is very dependent on where it is grown (soil conditions, climate etc) and on when it is harvested and how it is treated.

Commercial crops can be harvested frequently during the year - that will affect the quality of the product.

I do not know the Truvia product, but I can tell you this - if it's white, it has been bleached. My air-dried stevia is decidedly green.

I have found that commercial products aren't nearly as good as home-grown products. This is very true of food crops, which much of the time are overfed to encourage faster growth and that sort of thing. In the home garden, we tend to let Nature take its course, and Nature isn't as money-hungry as the commercial growers!

In my part of the world (subtropical Australia) I have found by trial and error that harvesting around October gives the sweetest stevia. I guess you'll have to do a taste-test to see when your optimum harvesting time is. However, stevia can be harvested at any time if one isn't too particular.

I have also found the awful after-taste no matter when I taste stevia! 

As for the matter raised by Old Mission: stevia has been traditionally used in Paraguay for centuries as a form of male contraception. Unfortunately, scientific research has failed to support its use in this way. So the jury is still out....The one thing that has been well-established, however, is that there are no known or reported harmful side-effects from using stevia, medicinally or as a food-flavouring.


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

truvia is definitely white crystalline. I may have to try growing stevia instead. Would need to set up a place to get it through winter though. I could handle the aftertaste if the sweetness were just there.


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## maclinda (Jan 3, 2010)

I had a stevia plant in a pot for years. I brought it inside in the winter, and cut it back. In the spring when it started growing, I'd cut off about 4" pieces and put them in a cup with water til they rooted and then give them to friends. 

It was a little higher maintenance, being in a pot, but I got sort of fond of it lol


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## suzfromWi (Jun 1, 2002)

Im using truvia and like it. I put a dime sized amount in my coffee and that sweetens it just fine...I dont notice an aftertaste....


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## Fae (Mar 9, 2005)

I don't understand why not just use unbleashed natural sugar. I have tried stevia plants and stevia from the health food store. I just cut down on sugar and use the natural sugar when I do use it.


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2010)

Fae said:


> I don't understand why not just use unbleashed natural sugar. I have tried stevia plants and stevia from the health food store. I just cut down on sugar and use the natural sugar when I do use it.


Some people have to avoid sugar because of health conditions, like diabetes. Like my mother.

My mother was using aspartame. BAD STUFF. She wanted to try Splenda and others. I said NO WAY. She stuck with saccharine but wasn't happy with it.

I tried different forms of stevia for her. Dried crushed leaves, liquid extracts, etc. She couldn't stand the aftertaste.

When the powdered extracts like Truvia came out. I picked up 2 or 3 brands. She likes Truvia and Purevia. I get whichever is cheapest with sales/coupons.

I am not happy with buying Truvia (for political reasons I won't go into here). But I have to get what my mother likes that isn't going to damage her system.


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## BoldViolet (Feb 5, 2009)

I got some stevia seeds for the garden this year.

Really, the only reason I did it was because on the site, it stated that artificial sweetener companies have tried to have stevia made illegal, so I just HAD to have it.


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## halfpint (Jan 24, 2005)

DreamerTheresa said:


> I got some stevia seeds for the garden this year.
> 
> Really, the only reason I did it was because on the site, it stated that artificial sweetener companies have tried to have stevia made illegal, so I just HAD to have it.


I think that was true in the past when the companies were trying to keep it off the market in the US, but in late 2008 the FDA issued a letter of 'no objection' to using stevia as a sweetener in products, which limits their liability as they didn't technically approve it. Up until that time, in the US Stevia could only be sold as a supplement not a sweetener, while in other countries it has been used for years as a sweetener both on the shelf and in several products, mainly sodas.

I have grown stevia both from seed and plants and found that the plant starts did much better, as stevia needs a very warm environment to grow from seed (I believe over 80 degrees is what I read). I have had it growing for about 3 years now without purchasing new plants, but noticed that many of the stores carried it last year (I saw it in Home Depot and Lowes). I think I originally got mine from a garden shop.

I usually dry mine in my dehydrator, but it air dries well also once the humidity is gone here in the south.

Dawn


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Got some today but man this stuff is High $$ 

big rockpile


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

big rockpile said:


> Got some today but man this stuff is High $$
> 
> big rockpile


I can't remember exactly what we paid, but yeah, if you're comparing per ounce to sugar it will surely hit you in the wallet buying processed. But maybe it will leave you with more teeth and feeling better. :gaptooth:


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

How Do I said:


> I can't remember exactly what we paid, but yeah, if you're comparing per ounce to sugar it will surely hit you in the wallet buying processed. But maybe it will leave you with more teeth and feeling better. :gaptooth:



Well teeth is something I don't have to worry about ound:











big rockpile


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Stevia...mmmm Well I wanted to try it so I bought a pound of dry stevia. Of course, as usual I shared it with others. I have found that the aftertaste is something that you would have to get used to. I am not sure I like it much myself. I have gotten used to using no sugar in any of my teas. I simply drink them with nothing added. I am not too worried about the two teaspoons of sugar I put in my coffee, one 6 ounce cup a day... As for the way I found I can consume it? I add it in with a different tea, not coffee. Again I was already adjusted to not sweetening my tea. I am wondering about baking with it....instead. I have a family member, great gardener, says it grows so very slow and has what looks like baby plants after months!....no wonder not a lot of folks offering seeds... You can find them cheap though...google them!


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## mullberry (May 3, 2009)

ROCKPILE, 
That notched tooth in the front looks like it should be saved :sob:


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## How Do I (Feb 11, 2008)

big rockpile said:


> Well teeth is something I don't have to worry about ound:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Well, maybe we can just settle for feeling better.


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