“Have you ever wondered if it was possible to learn how to grow stevia and make homemade stevia extract – that “miracle” plant that is sweeter than sugar – for sweetener instead of paying through the nose for those little packets in the store?
You can grow stevia at home, in pots or in your garden, and harvest it for dried leaves or extract…
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 stating to blossom.
If you wish to overwinter plants, leave at least 6 inches of plant intact to allow regrowth. Most recipes call for dried stevia powder or liquid stevia extract so that the flavor spreads more uniformly through the substance being sweetened, but feel free to experiment with fresh leaves…”
