How to Make Stevia Extract With Dried Stevia

Stevia is an organic sugar substitute that you can use in many things. While it is not recommended for baking, it is effective as a sweetener in drinks and other products. If you are diabetic or simply looking to avoid sugar and the synthetic sugar substitutes, stevia is a natural alternative. Stevia extract is a sweetened liquid that can be used in most anything. It is simple to make, requiring only a little bit of time and a matured stevia plant or dried leaves.

Things You'll Need

• Stevia plant
• Pruning shears
• Warm water
• Screen or netting for drying

Instructions

1. Harvest your stevia leaves. This is best done around the end of the fall season, before the first frost comes. The cooler weather will intensify the sweetness of your stevia leaves. Start by cutting the branches off your stevia plant with pruning shears. If you plan to keep this plant for next year's crop, leave about 4 inches at the base of each branch to allow for regrowth.

2. Strip the leaves off the branches you cut from your stevia plant. You can even take the stem tips if you want to.

3. Lay your stevia leaves out to dry on a screen or net. For best results, place them in an area that offers direct sunlight and good air circulation. Your goal is to get them to dry within 12 hours. If they take longer than 12 hours to dry, the stevioside in the leaves, which provides the sweetness, will begin to degrade.

4. Finely chop the dried stevia leaves. Gather ¼ cup of finely chopped stevia for each cup of stevia extract you plan to make.

5. Add ¼ cup of finely chopped stevia leaves to 1 cup of warm water and let it sit for 24 hours. After 24 hours, refrigerate your homemade stevia extract.

References

• Stevia.net: Growing Stevia

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish