stevia!

[Kreeli]

there have been quite a few threads about stevia on VB but i don't think i've ever seen a product review thread for it. i understand you can get various forms of stevia, pure powder, pure liquid, stevia cut with malitol, and the kind i bought today - stevia combined with "frutafit inulin fiber (FOS)" by the company called 'wisdom' (they have a site for the stevia at www.sweetleaf.com)

i have tried stevia in the past and been unimpressed with the bitter aftertaste it left in my mouth. this box, though, clamed it had "no bitter aftertaste" and since i have a renewed commitment to give up refined sugars, i decided to go for it. i had it in my coffee this afternoon and was pleasantly surprised. while the sweetness is quite different from that of the refined sugar i would normally put in my coffee, there really was NO aftertaste whatsoever. the sweetenss is a little odd in that it feels as though it retains a completely seperate identity from the other flavours, where refined sugar seems to blend in , if that makes any sense. but it is a very mellow sweetness - not biting at all. overall i'm pretty pleased and hope to figure out how to incorporate stevia into my baking eventually.

my only question is, in most of my internet travels looking for information bout cooking and baking with stevia it says that you only need 1/2 tsp to replace a full cup of sugar. however this particular type of stevia says that 1 packet (which contains maybe a 1/2 tsp of powder) only replaces the sweetness of 2 tsp of sugar. i guess it's because it has been "bulked up" with the "frutafit inulin fiber" and isn't like pure stevia at all. does that mean that if i were to use this particular type of stevia in baking, i would have to use 1/4 cup of it to replace 1 cup of sugar in a recipe? it will take a lot of packets and this stuff ain't cheap. does anyone have a source for aftertaste-free pure stevia that is more economical than this stuff?

please, feel free to also post your reviews of the stevia types you've tried. i'm interested in brand names and forms, as well as purity and the different things stevia is apparently "cut" with and how they affect taste and functioning in cooking and baking.

thanks!

[Lelena]

I have been using stevia off and on for a year and a half. I used to use the Sweetleaf powder packets which was okay. I just tried the Stevita brand Stevia Supreme powder packets which I like better. I have been trying to give up refined sugars also, but it is difficult. I haven't baked with Stevia though. I just use it in coffee and tea. For baking I usually use pure maple syrup or brown rice syrup.

I totally know what you mean about the sweetness being different. I feel like I am not sweetening my coffee but flavoring it. The price is also ridiculous! Anywhere from $6.49-7.99 a box. When I was using the Sweetleaf I bought it through a catalog called Dr.'s Trust (they might have an online store) I paid $4.19 a box plus shipping. I bought the Stevita from Mothersnature.com for $4.99 a box. The website for the Stevita is www.stevitastevia.com if you are interested.

I hope this helps.

[happyhealthy1]

Hello i have tried many kinds of stevia and have found you must be a label reader just like with all the products you buy, if the stevia has added maltodextrin, this contradicts the point of using stevia for no glycemic index since this is a sugar and still causes an increase in blood sugars, other no-no ingredients I have found in stevia powders are erythritol, silica, & liquids glycerol, glycerine & alcohol. It just may have been me,my body is very sensitive, but the more additives that were in the stevia the worst it reacted in my body. The pure stevia is best and I like the sweetleaf stevia with the added FOS fiber. Sweetleaf has a stevia extract powder with no fiber so you need only a small amount like you mentioned the recipe called for. The packets have the fiber because if it was pure stevia in that packet that would be enough for a whole cake not a single cup of coffee.
Here is an equivalency chart so you can see exactly how much stevia to use and what forms are available!
http://www.sweetleaf.com/category.php?subcat=recipes&subpage=eq_chart
I have a friend who worked for this company so i may be partial, but he always told me about the quality and care that went into each product. He was behind the scences and never had a bad story, he loved it all. I always research and find out about a company before I buy their products. I like to support family businesses who give back to the community, environmentally and nutritionally. Hope this helps

[dirtysole]

i like stevia. its still easier to use sugar and i err to that sometimes still ><;

i use the green packet sweetleaf brand. i am reading The Stevia Cookbook right now and will keep you posted on that.

only useful thing i have to say right now is this though:
if you have a box of artificial sweetener and send it to Sweetleaf they will give you a box of theirs instead. they call it the Toxic Trade In:

http://www.sweetleaf.com/category.php?subcat=community&subpage=toxic_tradeins

[Libellula]

i can't have stevia and this makes me sad..

i have never gotten hives that fast before..

[Doloja]

hmmm... i have some stevia growing in my backyard

[rawgirl]

My favorite if Kal pure stevia extract powder. It has nothing added and is the best tasting one I have tried (and I've tried most of them).

[SotallyTober]

aawwww..for a minute there I thought Kreeli was back.

[narenner]

I agree with the consensus that SweetLeaf is the best brand of stevia on the market Like has been mentioned before, it has the best taste and it doesn't hurt that it has no calories, no carbs and no glycemic index. I'd definitely check it out because SweetLeaf has such a range of products that you're guaranteed to find something that suits any need.

Also, for more info I found these videos on YouTube about SweetLeaf. Just search SweetLeaf Sweetener and enjoy!

[*AHIMSA*]

SweetLeaf tastes best to me.

[smedley]

sweet liquid drops are awesome! they have soo many flavors and last quite a while. when baking i replace the amount of sugar with same amount of pureed apple and add stevia drops to sweeten whatever i am baking and it works great!!

[NickelDime]

When I use the Southaven Farms baking mixes, I sometimes use stevia as the sweetener. Here's a good explanation and conversation for baking:

http://www.southavenfarm.com/recipes/recipe_details.php?recipeid=171