Harvesting and Drying Stevia
Leaves may be harvested and used at any time. Fresh leaves pair well with mint for an easy, refreshing herbal tea. For a large single harvest, pick in late summer or fall just as plants are starting to blossom.
When harvesting, the leaves are much sweeter than the stem, so the stem is typically discarded. Stevia is harvested and dried like most herbs. You can cut off the desired stems from the plant and bundle them in small bundles (less than 1 inch in diameter) and hang dry, and strip the leaves after they have dried.
Homemade Alcohol Based Stevia Extract
Start with clean stevia leaves, either fresh or dried. Chop (or break up) the leaves. Place the leaf bits in a glass jar, and then pour in enough edible alcohol like Vodka to cover. (Do not use rubbing alcohol.) Label and put in a cool spot out of direct sunlight for two days, shaking or mixing gently a few times per day.
After two days, strain your now pale leaves through a coffee filter, cheesecloth, flour sack towel or other fine material.
Take the stevia liquid and cook it over low heat – do not boil. Simmer gently for 20 to 30 minutes to drive off some of the alcohol and concentrate the extract. Strain through a filter into an opaque bottle (I recycled a vanilla extract bottle).
Cover, label and date. This extract will keep for around three months in the refrigerator.
Homemade Water Based Stevia Extract
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried stevia leaves, tightly packed
- 1 cup water
Directions
Bring water to a simmer in a small saucepan. Do not boil. you should see small bubbles only. Stir in dried stevia leaves and remove from heat. Cover and let steep for 40 minutes. Strain out leaves. Pour into a clean glass jar, cover and store in refrigerator for up to two weeks. Yields approximately 1/2 cup extract.
Stevia is a wonderful all natural and healthy alternative to refined sugars that has no calories, and eliminates health risks for people who are dieting or who must remove sugar from their diet due to dealing with health issues such as Yeast/Candida or Parasites that feed on refined sugars.
To read the entire article with more photos and directions, please visit Laurie Neverman at Common Sense Home for this and more valuable information!
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