Stevia in Brief

The stevia is a short-shrub also known as candy or sweet leaf. It is used as a replacement component for sugar over a hundred years. The enhanced flavour of the stevia plant is its leaf, which contributes the pristine taste. It has zero-calorie sweetness and is enriched with virulent and high- efficiency sweetness, hence it is used in various foods and drinks. As a matter of concern, it doesn’t impact on the rise of blood glucose level, especially for diabetic patients. The stevia is 200 to 350 times much sweeter and Mellitus than normal sugar which is why it is commonly used as a prime ingredient for sweetness along with other Materials in fluid, Powder, Capsule or Granulated Sweetener product.

These are readily available at our local market in India/ Tamilnadu.

Stevia – Indigenous to South America

Stevia is a tropical plant indigenous to Paraguay. It is scientifically called “Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni”. It sprouts in the tropical and sub-tropical region, hence it is grown in Asia, Mexico, Latin America and other parts of the US and Europe for commercial purpose. It is exposed to adequate water, a comp of daylight and warmth. In today’s world, Stevia is grown and harvested primarily for the source of sweetness and sweetener products.

Blossoming stevia plants are harvested

Initially, stevia begins its entity from a greenhouse. It is grafted or implanted in the field when the plant germinates 3 to 4 inches. Soon a small white flower blossoms, which is a sign that plant is ready for harvest. After harvest, leaves are dried and drenched in water therefore the sweetness is removed. Then the water is filtered, purified and dried and finally crystallized forming the stevia sweetener extract.

Tropical region is best for Stevia

 

Stevia gives their excellence when they are fed with proper sunlight, sufficient water, and under warm condition. Though stevia is indigenous to South America especially Paraguay it can also adapt themselves to a few other tropical regions where the temperatures are between 20 and 40 degrees of north or south of the equator. Stevia produces Steviol glycosides, the sweet element of the leaf, under 12 hours of sunlight so, these latitudes are best suited for stevia cultivation. Stevia is grown around many places especially in china for commercial purpose.

 

Can I cultivate my own stevia plant?

 

It is pretty much possible to grow your own stevia plant!

 

As stevia survives in 20- 40 degree north or south to the equator,

It is proved to bloom under 12 hours of exposure to sunlight, which will produce Steviol glycoside, the sweet element of stevia’s leaf.

 

Start sapling stevia in your turf

Initially, stevia begins its entity from a greenhouse then it is grafted or implanted in the field. Stevia can be purchased locally or online. You can also grow stevia in a 12 to a 14-inch container containing good humus mixture for the plant to cherish. Place the sapling in a proper spot where a plant is exposed to adequate sunlight and water the plant once, the top layer of soil mixture is dried. Homemade stevia sweetener is not considered to be safe (GRAS) according to US FDA requirements, even though it is pretty much easier to grow own stevia.

A very little amount of stevia extract is required to meet the sweetness that is expected, unlike sugar. The stevia is a virulent and has high-efficiency sweetness that is 200 to 350 times than that of sugar. Hence a small amount of stevia extract is pretty enough to meet the level of sweetness expected and besides, stevia has no calories.

Stevia leaf extract is not broken down for calories when entered digestive tract and the sweetness are easily metabolized by our body, whereas sugar is broken down for calories and has more calorie content. Due to this perks of stevia leaf extract, it is used by many people to maintain proper healthy weight and lifestyle.

Does stevia impact on the colour of my food?

It is observed that stevia has no colour impact on food or beverages, but on baking, it may change in colour and you can notice some performance differences when you use stevia leaf extract as an ingredient for baked products.

Stevia leaf extract may lighten baked foods

The brown layer on the top of the baked foods tempts a lot. This may not happen in the case of stevia, because it does not make the baked goods look brown in the same way as sugar does. As sugar caramelizes on heating, it gives a brown colour and creates an accustomed weight, texture and toughness. While baked goods using stevia leaf extract results in a lighter colour.

Stevia mixture aids with baking

Commercial stevia-sweetened products are manufactured primarily for baking. This is possible by blending stevia extract with few amount of sugar which produces an accustomed look and taste along with reduced calories.

Growing a stevia plant is as easy as that, all you need to have sufficient sunlight, warm and adequate water, and it does a great job.

It starts its life as Sapling

Commercial stevia is grown around many places in the world, but it is predominately grown in China.

Stevia is taken care in the greenhouse until it reaches the sapling stage and then it is implanted in fields during late spring. Studies say that grafting of the plant during April or May results for two yields Therefore expands the harvest.

Harvest is done when Stevia blooms

Small scale farmers often cultivate stevia and harvest it when bloom appears (small white flower blossoms). The leaves are dried and manufactured as a stevia leaf extract. The alimentary use of stevia extract is exported to manufactures who use stevia as a primary ingredient for stevia-based sweeteners.

Sugar is considered as the benchmark for measuring the sweetness. Almost all the substitute for sweetness is compared with sugar. Stevia leaf extract is a purified, has enriched taste and high-efficiency sweetness level of 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar. The taste and sweetness depending on the method of extraction and from the plant in which it is extracted. Stevia genus has 154 members in its family.

Commercial manufacturers blend stevia with erythritol, dextrose or maltodextrin and other ingredients to uniformly spread and counterbalance the sweetness so that it is convenient to use in foods, beverages and cooking.

Of course! You can blend stevia leaf extract with other sweeteners.

Commercial Stevia products are sold when it is combined with other sweeteners like sugar to serve the purpose of baking. Sugar is blended with stevia to decide the reduction of sugar over the elimination of sugar.

To embellish the taste and sweetness, the stevia leaf extract is mixed with another source of high-efficiency sweetness like monk fruit and zero-calorie sweetness like erythritol which equally circulate sweetness in stevia-based sweeteners.

High integrated stevia leaf extract is considered safe as per US FDA standards. Stevia leaf extract is available in most of the retail grocers along with online distributions since most are of the tabletop sweeteners use stevia. There are many distinguishes between pure and crude stevia. Crude stevia is usually not considered safe according to US FDA standards.

Stevia leaf extract is available in all forms, liquid, capsule, packet, small sachet and is used as the ingredient in most of the sweetener product. Based on the requirement and depending on the part of the world in which you dwell the forms of stevia leaf extract differs.

Especially for baking, the zero-calorie stevia is mixed with brown or white sugar to enhance the performance of baked goods. Many products like coke life beverages also contain stevia leaf extract and it is available in most of the stores.

 

Stevia leaf extract packets are commonly found on restaurant and for individual use in North America. This packed stevia extract provides equal sweetness as that of one to two teaspoons of sugar. On the other hands, stevia liquids and stevia tablets are popular in South America and Europe, respectively.

Crude stevia is found in alternative food store and also in an online store. But these crude stevia’s are not considered safe by US FDA standards.

It is the botanical name for the herb which is commonly referred to as “stevia”. The plant gained its name from the Italian-Swiss botanist Dr.Moises S. Bertoni who exposed the sweet constituent element of the plant to the world by publishing a paper about the plant in 1905. Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni’s leaf is processed and made into stevia leaf extract which gives sweet-tasting, a zero-calorie sweetener which serves as a replacement for sugar.

Stevia plant leaf, on processing, gives a purified zero-calorie sweetener known as a stevia leaf extract. Crude stevia is completely different from stevia leaf extract. Stevia leaf extract is the most purified form of stevia which is 95% pure Rebaudiana A or other steviol glycosides. It is generally recognized as safe according to US FDA standards.

The best tasting parts of the stevia plant are combined to form stevia extract.

In the US, stevia leaf extract appears on the ingredient label as it has commercial food grade which is of 95% pure. Crude stevia is different from pure stevia extract in a way that it has 40% unique steviol glycosides which cannot match with the pure form of stevia leaf extract. On purifying the stevia leaf it produces enduring tasting components –

Rebaudioside A, leaving out other components that spoil the sweetness of stevia leaf extract.

Only a few parts of stevia leaf consist of the best tasting sweet component and stevia leaf extract is processed in a way that it includes all the best parts of the leaf leaving out the crude stevia to maintain a balanced and persistent taste.

Yes, it is safe. Stevia leaf extract is a pure form of the stevia plant, unlike crude stevia. Crude stevia is not safe and is not GRAS (generally recognized as safe) according to US FDA standards while stevia leaf extract is completely safe and are GRAS by US FDA standards as it has gone through several scientific and clinical tests to ensure the safety for human intake and commercial use. It is also endorsed by a range of national food safety bodies and approved by the academy of nutrition and dietetics.

A very little amount of stevia leaf extract is more than enough to attain the analogous sweetness of sugar because stevia leaf extract is 200 to 350 times sweeter than sugar.

Commercially, a little amount of stevia leaf extract is blended with other ingredients like erythritol, maltodextrin or dextrose in stevia-based sweetener to provide the look and feel like sugar. Blending helps to evenly spread the intense sweetness of the stevia leaf extract and therefore the finished products can be used as an alternative for sugar.

A very little amount of stevia is more enough to deliver the intense sweetness comparable to sugar because stevia leaf extract is 200 to 350 times sweeter than that of sugar. Stevia based sweeteners are blended with other ingredients like erythritol or dextrose to balance the intense sweetness and these finalized products are convenient to use as an alternative to sugar with less sugar.

Conversion differs for each stevia-based sweeteners

Stevia based sweeteners are used to compensate the same sweetness of sugar therefore quantity differs for each manufacturer. It is studied that stevia-based sweetener has 1/8 teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon of stevia leaf extract which is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. When it comes to baking goods, sugar is blended with stevia to serve a look good and feel the good outcome. in baking, 1 to 1.5 teaspoon of the baking blend ( a mix of zero-calorie stevia-based sweetener and sugar ) is equivalent to 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Websites for easy conversion

The below-given websites give detail about the conversion chart in which you can search your preferred sweetener brand name and a quick conversion chart is available for the brand based on the requirement like cooking, baking and everyday sweetening.

The four popular conversion sites are

Stevia as raw

Conversion chart: http://www.intheraw.com/using-itr/conversion-charts/

Sweet leaf

Conversion chart : http://sweetleaf.com/stevia-recipes/stevia-conversion-chart/

Conversion chart : http://sweetleaf.com/stevia-conversion-calculator/

Truvia

Conversion chart:  https://www.truvia.com/conversion-charts

Conversion chart: https://www.truvia.com/conversion-charts/conversion-calculator

Whole earth nature sweet

Conversion chart: http://www.wholeearthsweetener.com/conversion-chart/

Stevia leaf extract is processed to reach a high level of purity and integrated taste when commercially produced on a large scale for stevia-based sweeteners.

User-friendly forms of stevia get processed

Stevia is 200 to 350 times sweeter than that of sugar, therefore, it requires a very little amount of stevia to produce stevia-based sweetness hence, commercial producers process stevia leaf extract in a more user-friendly form so that is much convenient for them to use. Stevia leaf extract is further blended with other ingredients like erythritol or dextrose to counterpart the profound sweetness. On the processing, stevia-based sweeteners result in powder, granules and tablets formats which are user-friendly for people to use it in food and beverages.

Purifying process of Stevia

Stevia leaf extract is processed primarily to achieve the stage of purity required by the food-grade ingredients. Though stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni has many sweet parts, few parts of stevia also taste bitter so purifying helps to sort out the problem. It is studied that Rebaudiana A is the best-tasting part of stevia leaf extract and are mainly used by commercial manufacturers.

The storage life of stevia varies from one form of stevia to another form of stevia. A liquid form of stevia will have a different period of validity compared to granular form and baking blend of stevia sweetener.

For instances ‘Stevia in the raw’ packets will have a lifetime of four years from the date of manufacture while ‘Truvia natural sweetener’ will have a lifetime of three years from the date of manufacture.

Every stevia-based sweetener will have a validity which prevails beyond three years from the date of manufacture. It is better to contact the brand for more clear info.

In what way granular stevia-based sweetener differs from liquid Stevia based sweeteners?

The differences rely on the usage and preferences of the people. Few could prefer powder stevia-based sweetener while other few could prefer liquid stevia-based sweetener it is completely based on the purpose. Some are satisfied with powder as it is resembling the sugar. For other liquid is much easier to use in coffee. Stevia based sweetener has many forms like :

Powder

Granular

Tablets

Liquid

Few forms are easy for the commercial purchasers to buy in bulk and large volumes. Stevia based sweeteners varies based on locations, like South American markets prefer a liquid form of stevia-based sweetener while the European market prefers tablet form.

Stevia leaf extract has high potency sweetness which is 200 to 350 more than that of sugar and is produced from the best-tasting part of stevia leaf. Commercial manufacture adds other ingredients like erythritol, dextrose to evenly spread the intense sweetness and make it look good and feel good alike sugar. It also enhances the taste equal to that of sugar and is much convenient for people to use.

 

Fructose is one such ingredient used by manufactures to enhance the taste of stevia-based sweeteners and equalize the sweetness level. Fructose is the component that savours high integrated sweetness off stevia-based sweetener.

Commercial manufactures add many ingredients to stevia-based sweeteners. It is based on the personal preferences one has to choose the best stevia-based sweeteners based on the sweetness and flavour offered.