Grow stevia plants in your garden to produce a natural sweetener with no calories. To get more bang for my buck from my garden, I plant varieties that are expensive to buy at the supermarket. Stevia qualifies as a contender for garden space using that criteria. With no calories and no reported side effects stevia is an important herb for every home gardener because of the natural, calorie-free sweetness found in its leaves.
Stevia is a tender perennial that loves the warm sun and dies back in a freeze. In my Rocky Mountain climate I start seeds inside 7-9 weeks before I transplant outside. Germination takes 10-20 days at 68-70 degrees. The seeds should be sprinkled on the soil surface and lightly covered with a planting soil without fertilizer.
Germinating Seeds
Stevia seeds are extremely fine and difficult to sprout. This year I got five plants to sprout out of 10 seeds. I started the seeds under grow lights in a flat made from a deli tray that had a clear plastic domed cover in order to keep the seedlings hydrated and protected from temperature fluctuations.
After all danger of frost has passed and the ground has warmed up, I transplant outside. It’s June 6 and my stevia seedlings are still hardening off on the front porch as we had snowfall on May 21st this year. I moved them to a plant stand in the shelter of the east-facing front porch the end of May to acclimate to outside temperature fluctuations. We have very cool nights this close to the mountains.
Cultivation Tips
Stevia likes full sun and well-drained soil. It does not tolerate extreme climate changes. Plant your stevia so that it has about 18 inches of room to call its own. It prefers loose, loamy, well-drained soil. It will grow 1 to 3 feet in height, depending on the length of your growing season. In warmer climes stevia can grow into a two-foot shrub. Mulch to prevent the plant from drying out on hot summer days.
Stevia doesn’t like soggy soil, so make sure that it has good drainage, or the roots could rot. A sure sign of rot is wilting from which the plant doesn’t recover after watering. Fortunately, few insects bother stevia plants. Use a low nitrogen fertilizer when feeding stevia. Tip-prune to encourage bushiness. Harvest before flowering occurs in late summer and dry upside down in bunches. Cool temperatures intensify the plant’s sweetness, so harvest late in the season but before frost. Plants mature in 55 days.
Cloning Stevia Plants
In order to capitalize on plants that sprout, I take cuttings from the growing plants. To make a cutting, choose a branch with at least two leaf nodes and cut the branch from plant with a sharp knife or single edge razor. Strip the branch of all but the top four leaves and place stem in a small planting container firming the growing medium around the cutting. Space the cuttings about two inches apart in the container. Moisten the soil and put the container in a gallon zip lock bag. If the bag has too much condensation while the plants are rooting, just open the zip lock and let the moisture evaporate before resealing. By using cuttings, you can overwinter stevia and multiply your stevia planting with these clones from your seedling plants. In cold areas, bring plants in and place under 14 hours of fluorescent lighting hung three inches above the plants.
How to Process Stevia Plants
Use the fresh leaves during the growing season to sweeten tea. The sweetness in the leaves is approximately one-fourth as concentrated as the white, powdered stevia sold at the store. Leaves are 30 times sweeter than sugar. A single plant yields up to a 1/2 lb. of dried leaf. All parts of the plant are sweet, but pick the herb’s short-stemmed leaves for fresh use. Leaves can be sun-dried, powdered and stored in an airtight container for future use.
When sweetening with powdered leaves, use about 1/8 teaspoon of dried stevia to equal the sweetness of 1 teaspoon of sugar. A general rule of thumb is that 2 tablespoons of stevia powder equals 1 cup of sugar. Remember, while stevia will withstand the heat of cooking, it will not caramelize like sugar or feed yeast for breads,
For winter use, dry the stevia by cutting the plant, securing the branches with a rubber band, and hanging them upside down in a sunny window until dry. Strip the leaves from the plant and process the dried leaves in a blender or food processor until powdery.
How to Make Stevia Extract
Start with clean stevia leaves, either fresh or dried. I rinse off my fresh leaves and give them a spin in the salad spinner.
Chop the stevia leaves. Place the chopped leaves in a glass jar, and then pour in enough vodka to cover the leaves.
Label the jar and put in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for two days, shaking or mixing gently a few times per day.
Don’t let it sit longer to try and get a stronger flavor. Longer steeping can increase bitterness. Don’t include stems so you have more material. They don’t contain much steviol glycoside, which is what makes the stevia sweet.
After two days, strain the leaves through a coffee filter or other fine material. Take the raw extract and cook it gently over low heat until it is reduced by half. Do not boil it, or it will burn and taste nasty. Store in a dropper bottle, if available, or any small jar for future use.
Recent Comments