- Cost-Effective Home Production: Rachel from Auxhart Gardening illustrates how making stevia extract at home is significantly cheaper than purchasing. For about $5-$6, you can produce the equivalent of a $20 retail bottle of stevia extract.
- Simple Growing and Harvesting: Stevia plants are easy to grow and maintain, especially in suitable climate zones like 7b. Rachel explains that by planting a single seed and using minimal additional ingredients, you can harvest your plant multiple times a year for extract production.
- Harvesting Technique: When harvesting stevia leaves, Rachel advises cutting above pairs of leaves on the stem, which encourages the plant to grow additional stems for future harvests. This technique helps maintain the plant's productivity over time.
- Extraction Process: Fresh or dried stevia leaves are placed in a jar and covered with cheap vodka, then left to sit for 24-48 hours. Exceeding this time can result in a bitter taste. Post-infusion, the alcohol is gently heated to evaporate, enhancing the sweetness and reducing volume without boiling the mixture.
- Storage and Usage: The final stevia extract is then stored in the refrigerator in jars or dropper bottles for easy use. Rachel mentions that dropper bottles are particularly convenient for adding precise amounts of stevia to beverages like coffee.
Video source: Auxhart Gardening / Youtube
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Thanks for the info! Just started growing this in 2023 in Seneca! Nice to have gardening info for my area! Can't wait to try my own Stevia!
Thank you
Hi! How long is this good for while stored in the fridge?
I added a Stevie plant to my garden, its in a pot and I have to water it daily or it wilts. Its time to harvest leaves but I didn't really know what I was going to do. This is genius, thanks for the video!
Isnt alchol going to be adhered to stevia glycols? Im diabetic and lyme so alcohol is a no no i wonder if boiling it is good for the glycemic index thing,im so scared i dont wanna gamble with my health
Will it extract more if you use Everclear (190 proof)?
Very informative. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I have Stevia plant in my small garden. I don't take or use Alcohol, so how could I make Stevia extract without using Alcohol.?
Thanks for sharing this wonderful content ❤️ greetings from Cameroon. I want to grow tones of stevia
It’s a good video, why it is Black ?
Amazing! Does anyone know how long the extract lasts if correctly kept in a glass bottle in the fridge?
I made this & it doesn't taste as sweet as the store, is it because I didn't boil it down?
Or do I need to put more stevia leaves in it?
Please turn your pan handle away from the front of the stove while cooking. Hot water burns are very common and inadvertently hitting the handle can be disastrous. Please be safe. The video is informative, and I'll give this a try!
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I read somewhere that you can use water instead of alcohol. Shread the stevia leaves add water and simmer until water evaporates. The final product is a white powder.
You're even sweeter than stevia itself
Excited to try this in the future!
I have read it needs frequent or daily water. Half of my cuttings rotted and I think it's because I did water it too much.
Right now I have them in a potting soil and clean sand mix. Maybe the sand will keep the roots dryish. Crossing fingers.
Could i grow stevia indoors?
Thank you so much! I enjoyed watching this and can't wait to extract my own stevia 🙂
The sweet-leaved raspberry (Rubus suavissimus) also has the same use,which is also frost-resistant compared to stevia. According to traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to make a medicinal drink known as Sweet tea Tian-cha. The raspberry version of steviol, called rubusoside, provides the sweet taste of the leaves of this raspberry.
Have you ever saved the seeds from your flowers to propagate for next year’s plants?
Thank you for sharing ✊🏾 Can the leaves be resoaked to potentially extract stevia a 2nd or 3rd time?
Can you use a whippet to create the tincture like with Green Dragon?
Wow no way!!! You can't taste any alcohol in the final product?
How long will this last in the refrigerator? Have you kept any for long term storage? I'm wondering about making extra to last until the next growing season.
Love it! Ty! You’re adorable. Can’t wait to try.
Very cool thanks for sharing, I’m hoping to do this soon for my coffee as well! Cheers
why does it have to go in fridge?