How to Process Green Stevia Leaves
Stevia plants are easy to grow. They are a zone 11 plant, which means they do not tolerate frost. Usually the most difficult thing about growing stevia is finding it at your local nursery. To have the most green stevia leaves for processing, place the plant in full sun or partial shade and keep it consistently moist. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Clip the stevia plant, which has a main stalk with smaller off-shooting stalks. You have three options when harvesting your green stevia leaves: Pull the plant from the roots, clip the main stalk or clip the off-shooting stalks. Pull the plant from the soil if you don't want it to regrow. Clipping the plant at the top will make it bushier and produce more offshoots. Removing the offshoots will thin out the plant and allow more sun into the center.
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Hold the stevia bunch so that the stem ends are at the top. Cut a piece of string long enough that you can easily wrap it around the bunch several times. Tie it in a knot and have about 6 inches of extra string at one or both ends, then wrap the string around the bunch several times. You want the string to be tight enough so that none of the sprigs will fall out when you hang it. However, the string should be loose enough so that it does not damage the sprigs.
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Hang the bundle of green stevia sprigs upside down to dry with a square knot. Using the 6 inches of extra string, tie a square knot that connects the two ends together, which looks similar to the first knot when you tie your shoe. However, for the first knot, place the left string over the right string, and place the right string over the left string for the second knot. Hang the knot over an old nail or hook and let the plant dry. Keep the bundle of stevia out of the sun to protect from overdrying.
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After a few days, your green stevia leaves will be processed and dried. They are now ready to use for tea, tincture or extract.
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Tips & Warnings
Place the dried stevia leaves into an airtight container or a food storage bag to keep it fresh.
Hang your stevia inside. If weather conditions are damp outside, the stevia leaves may become moldy during the drying process.
