Dried stevia

Dried stevia consists of the complete dried leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, the leaves can be infused whole or ground whenever a finer texture is required

Their natural sweetness comes from steviol glycosides, particularly stevioside and rebaudioside A, allowing the leaves to sweeten drinks and suitable recipes while reducing the amount of added sugar required

Research on stevia leaves has also identified naturally occurring phenolic compounds and minerals including potassium, calcium and magnesiumions and the quantity normally used is small

Stevia leaves have traditionally been used by the Guaraní people to sweeten local teas, and the complete dried leaves remain particularly convenient for tea, coffee and drinkable herbal blends

For a stevia infusion: place one complete dried leaf in 240 ml of boiling water, cover and leave for 3 to 5 minutes, then remove the leaf and serve

For tea or coffee: add one small leaf to the teapot, coffee pot or French press during preparation, then remove it before serving, another leaf may be added when preparing a larger pot

For drinkable herbal blends: add one complete leaf to a teapot containing hibiscus, lemon verbena, lemongrass, mint or another herbal combination, infuse everything together and remove the herbs before serving

For homemade lemonade or iced tea: infuse two or three leaves in 500 ml of hot water for 5 minutes, remove the leaves and leave the infusion to cool, combine it with lemon juice and cold water or use it as part of the water for iced tea

For smoothies: grind a small piece of dried leaf to a fine powder, add it to the blender with the fruit and liquid, blend thoroughly and adjust the quantity after tasting

For yoghurt or porridge: grind one or more leaves in a clean spice grinder, keep the powder in a tightly closed container and stir a small pinch into yoghurt or cooked porridge

For fruit salad: mix a small pinch of ground leaf with lemon or orange juice, then pour it over the prepared fruit and toss until evenly distributed

For dressings and marinades: grind the leaf finely and add a small pinch to a dressing made with lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and herbs, particularly when the recipe normally includes a little sugar

For baking: grind the leaves to a fine powder and use them in recipes developed for stevia or to replace part of the sugar, regular sugar also contributes moisture, volume and colour to baked goods, so complete replacement requires an adapted recipe

Complete leaves naturally vary in size, so begin with one leaf or a small amount of ground leaf and adjust according to the recipe