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Home » Video » P. Allen Smith's Garden Home | Stevia - The Herbal Sweetener

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  • P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

P. Allen Smith's Garden Home | Stevia - The Herbal Sweetener | PBS

Duration: 01:00
Program: P. Allen Smith's Garden Home

Okay, let's say you like the idea of trying interesting teas from china. But what about sweetener? Well, if you're like me, of course, honey is a natural choice. But recently I discovered an herb that is very sweet. It's been used by the Guarani Indians of Paraguay for hundreds of years.

This herb is called Stevia rebaudiana, or sweet leaf, because of the sweet taste of its leaves. This plant is an annual, and it grows well in containers or raised beds, where the plants can stay moist but not too wet. If you shop whole foods or nutrition stores, you can find stevia as a nutritional supplement.

You just can't believe how sweet this herb is. It's really fantastic, and the thing about it is, you can collect the leaves and dry them, or you can use them fresh. And it's the leaves you want to pick. The stems aren't nearly as sweet as the leaves themselves.

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Post Date: October 27, 2010