Description
Stevia
Stevia is an all natural alternative to processed sugar with little to no calories. A member of the Chrysanthemum family, Stevia plants are native to South America and was originally discovered by the Guarani tribes, indigenous to Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, who used it medicinally in teas. Named “ka’a he’e” or “sweet herb” by the tribes, the sweet plant was also used as an herbal remedy for heartburn and indigestion.
Stevia is a great culinary herb and its leaves can be used to sweeten teas and drinks, custards, desserts and more. It is not recommended as a replacement for processed sugar when baking, as Stevia doesn’t caramelize or crystallize like sugar does and this difference in chemical reactions when heated may not produce a flavorful or expected outcome. The leaves themselves have a faintly licorice like taste when used fresh and the plant is easy to grow if kept warm. It will continuously flower and will do best in doors in a pot or container if grown in a zone where the weather gets cold and rainy.
