Liquid Stevia ;-)

[locarbman]

LOL! I'd return it and get my money back...in this thread, I show how to make your own stevia blend (identical to Stevita's) which only costs $6.25/16oz to make yourself... You may find ordering on line much cheaper, the best price (on my sources list) is $4.18/oz on sale for NOW brand stevia extract (pure white powder)...much cheaper than WholeFoods which charges $13 for a .9oz bottle the last I heard. I have no idea if you already have my on-line sources list, so I'll send it to you...check the submission by linds towards the bottom. Good luck... ;-)

PS: The 'plus fiber' is not a satisfactory candidate for making liquid stevia...

[mamabearc]

What is your recommendation on this. I have a bottle of NuNaturals Pure Liquid Clear Stevia. Do you have any insight into this brand of Stevia and syrup making?

[locarbman]

Hi mamabearc, I do not recommend commercial liquid stevia's ;-( Their website: [color=red]removed[/color] describes this product as using only an 85% stevioside extract, which contains vegetable glycerine with 20% alcohol. It is more expensive than available pure extract powders with a higher stevioside content. There is no indication of it's actual strength compared to sugar...

From this site:

Label Information:
Stevia, Pure Liquid Clear, Nu Naturals, Standardized 2 0z. (59 mL) Extract
Dietary Supplement

Nu Naturals uses a laboratory tested and certified extract that contains a minimum 85% of the steviosides, the active ingredient of Stevia while retaining other beneficial components. Be assured that this is the true Stevia extract, consistent in quality that you expect from NuNaturals. This highly concentrated extract should not be confused with less potent tinctures or extracts.

Supplement Facts:
Serving Size 5 drops (.25 ml) (approximately 1/4 dropperful)
Servings per container: 236

Amount of Extract per Milliliter Stevia Extract (Stevia Rebaudiana) 200 mg *
-------------------------------------------------
* Daily Value not established.

Other Ingredients: Vegetable glycerine, 20% pure grain alcohol and water.

Suggested Usage: Shake before using. use 5-10 drops directly in your favorite food or beverage. "

Best Used: Approx. 3 years from the date of purchase.

Brand: NuNaturals
2 0z. (59 mL) Extract

Please note: Sometimes we get this in a glass bottle, sometimes we get it in a plastic bottle. We can not guarantee ahead of time which will ship, but both are exactly the same product.

NN-02SRP: $ 14.15 [color=red]removed[/color]: $ 9.20
__________

To determine it's approximate strength, you might try sweetening a package of Kool-Aid...the amouint necessary to achieve the desired level of sweetness can be equated to approximately 1 cup of sugar. This can then be used for making syrups, if you don't mind the alcohol taste.

I do recommend using a pure stevia white extract powder with the highest stevioside percentage for making homemade liquid stevia at a strength yielding 1 cup of sweetness per 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture. These pure stevia white extract powders are available at a much more reasonable price.

Hope this helps... ;-)

[mamabearc]

I appreciate your input. I bought this stevia early on in my weightloss endevour and didn't do a lot of research first. Now, I just want to use it up as I don't want it to go to waste. Also, have you ever used xylitol in syrup making? I just bought some of this also. What are your thoughts on xylitol? Have you ever used it ansd what type of recipes do you have with this in it?

[locarbman]

Barry - On the way... ;-)

mamabearc - I love xylitol and see no reason why you could not use it in your syrups. It is rated at 150% as strong as sugar so 2/3 cup would be the equivalent of 1 cup of sugar... ;-)

PS: I use xylitol primarily in baked goods...cookies, cakes, etc...for recipes, I would do a search on xylitol.

[argo2d]

Originally posted by locarbman
Hi mamabearc, I do not recommend commercial liquid stevia's ;-( Their website: [color=red]removed[/color]describes this product as using only an 85% stevioside extract, which contains vegetable glycerine with 20% alcohol. It is more expensive than available pure extract powders with a higher stevioside content. There is no indication of it's actual strength compared to sugar...

From this site:

Label Information:
Stevia, Pure Liquid Clear, Nu Naturals, Standardized 2 0z. (59 mL) Extract
Dietary Supplement

Nu Naturals uses a laboratory tested and certified extract that contains a minimum 85% of the steviosides, the active ingredient of Stevia while retaining other beneficial components. Be assured that this is the true Stevia extract, consistent in quality that you expect from NuNaturals. This highly concentrated extract should not be confused with less potent tinctures or extracts.

Supplement Facts:
Serving Size 5 drops (.25 ml) (approximately 1/4 dropperful)
Servings per container: 236

Amount of Extract per Milliliter Stevia Extract (Stevia Rebaudiana) 200 mg *
-------------------------------------------------
* Daily Value not established.

Other Ingredients: Vegetable glycerine, 20% pure grain alcohol and water.

Suggested Usage: Shake before using. use 5-10 drops directly in your favorite food or beverage. "

Best Used: Approx. 3 years from the date of purchase.

Brand: NuNaturals
2 0z. (59 mL) Extract

Please note: Sometimes we get this in a glass bottle, sometimes we get it in a plastic bottle. We can not guarantee ahead of time which will ship, but both are exactly the same product.

NN-02SRP: $ 14.15 [color=red]removed[/color]: $ 9.20
__________

To determine it's approximate strength, you might try sweetening a package of Kool-Aid...the amouint necessary to achieve the desired level of sweetness can be equated to approximately 1 cup of sugar. This can then be used for making syrups, if you don't mind the alcohol taste.

I do recommend using a pure stevia white extract powder with the highest stevioside percentage for making homemade liquid stevia at a strength yielding 1 cup of sweetness per 1/4 teaspoon of the mixture. These pure stevia white extract powders are available at a much more reasonable price.

Hope this helps... ;-)

are all liquid stevia's bad? i saw bottles that said stevioside and grapeseed extract and they claim to be pure but is that wrong? sorry i'm a bit confused... i want to get a pure stevia because i'm afraid of carbs... and i see glycerine and alcohol as carbs so i'm worried! so the only pure stevia is what comes as a powder? how can i identify which is pure by ingredient lists?

[argo2d]

Originally posted by locarbman
LOL! You basically have 5 choices for stevia products...tablets, packets (with maltodextrin filler), green powder (ground leaves), liquid (pure powder mixed with alcohol, glycerine, water, etc) and pure white extract powder (some using fillers such as maltodextrin, erythritol, FOS, and inulin known as stevia blends or spoonable stevia). When you look at the ingredient list, simply make sure you are buying pure white extract powder with no fillers...and a high rebaudioside (not the same as stevioside) percentage...preferably 85% or higher.

There are a rather large number of brands from which to select, I've seen the pure extract powder sold as NOW brand, KAL brand, NuNaturals brand, and there are others... All stevia is 0 carb, the carbs come from fillers. All of the commercial liquid stevia's, that I have seen, are mixed with alcohol and water. They never indicate their strength compared to sugar (due to FDA precluding use as a sweetener in foods) and as a result, there's no easy way to determine how much of them to use in recipes...that's why I recommend making your own liquid stevia at home using the pure white powder and water which allows you to calculate it's strength. All forms of stevia use Pure extract powder, however, when they add fillers such as grapeseed oil, the mixture is no longer pure...just 'contains' pure stevia extract...hope this helps... ;-)

you're too smart

hey i got another response on another board that NOW brand was really mild and not very good and that KAL was the best... got any recommendations??

remind me to write down the ingredients next time i go to whole foods so i can check back on each one with you just to be safe

[locarbman]

LOL! argo, I wouldn't bother as I have no intention of doing your research for you...you will just have to rely upon your own 'good' judgement... ;-)

[argo2d]

NP

maybe you could suggest a brand though so i have a place to start?

*hopeful*

[locarbman]

argo, You might try reading the very first post in this thread... I've also used KAL brand, however, most recently purchased a full pound of NOW brand for $43.10 which equates to $2.69/ounce...I'm always interested in the 'best' prices...and quality... ;-)

PS: For those interested in the one pound container, it takes 10.41 tablespoons of NOW brand stevia to equal 1 ounce for mixing your liquid stevia...1 ounce is equivalent to 1000 1/32t servings. 1000/32 = 31.25 teaspoons, 31.25/3 = 10.41666 tablespoons...

[JazzyV]

Locarbman, I've finally decided to join in on the Stevia fun . I'm awaiting my order now, and will make liquid stevia when I get it. I also ordered xylitol.

[locarbman]

LOL! are you sure that you mean 'pound' and not 'ounce'... ;-)

PS: Well, you have held out for a year now...I'm impressed...lol! I hope you find it as versatile a sweetener as I have...please let me know how it compares to your NOW Brand Liquid Stevia...

[JazzyV]

LOL, yes. I bought ounces of NOW Stevia extract, and pounds of NOW xylitol !

[betheresoon]

I finally got the right kind of Stevia (When the thread first came out I bought Now liquid Stevia by mistake, I am a little slow, I know )

Now I am looking at that pudding recipe and it looks really good. I think I'll try that after the ice cream.

Locarbman - you are the greatest!

[betheresoon]

I made the ice cream last night and the texture was great and the liquid stevia was great, but there is a taste in there that I don't like. I think it is from the lecithin.

I'm wondering, I used liquid lecithin so maybe I should have used less? If not then what would it change is I used egg yolks instead of the lecithin? I'm really not afraid of the raw eggs and no one else eats it but me.

[locarbman]

betheresoon, if you use eggs, I recommend that you warm the cream and egg yolks until the mixture will 'coat your spoon', then add the additional ingredients and cool before placing in your ice cream freezer...

Equivalents for the different forms of lecithin are:

3 heaping tablespoons of regular lecithin granules will equal

3 level tablespoons of fine ground lecithin and these are equal to

2 tablespoons of liquid lecithin...hope this helps ;-)

[betheresoon]

Those measurements help a lot. I think I'll try again using 1.5 T of the liquid lecithin and see what happens.

Thanks so much!

[bilbo]

I tried a 100% pure extract stevia brand (from Herbal Advantage) which is meant to be 90% steviosides.

I made up a liquid concoction a la lowcarbman.

I used it in a mousse I made. Unfortunately it simply wasn't that sweet. I very slowly added more of the stevia liquid and whisked it in. But it never achieved that 'more intense' sweetness one gets with splenda.

It was a failure really.

What I did find is that using 1/2 stevia and 1/2 splenda or 3/4 stevia and 1/4 splenda does give an intense sweetness with no bitterness.

Now I have a couple of questions:

1) Has anyone else experienced the same problem with using a 90% stevioside? Or have people found that a 90% stevioside does give a genuine sugar replacement taste.

2) I understand there are better quality brands out there (96% stevioside). Does this really achieve intense sweetness like splenda does?

Basically I want to make a mousse with stevia - and its not working! Please help!

[dzhope]

Thanks for all the wonderful info.

I picked up my liquid stevia at the local health food store and just followed the advice of the salesperson. DH and I are starting to have something called the "slimming beverage" along with meals, as recommended with the calcium diet (says it can be used in conjunction with Atkins for better results so lets hope so )!! It consists of 8 oz. green tea, two tsp. of lemon juice and stevia to taste. The stevia isn't only used as a sweetener but as an appetite suppressant as well

[dizneegirl]

bilbo -

Using the NOW brand stevia, as locarbman suggested, and using the SweetLeaf stevia that I had originally bought (see page 1), I've had no problem getting a very concentrated, very sweet product.

Perhaps you mixed too much water with your version of stevia to make it a 200x strength?

My batches have the sweetening equivalency of 1/4 tsp. = 1 cup sugar... and it's pretty close to dead-on. For sweetening something like several servings of whipped cream or mousse, I would use only a few drops.

I've been able to use stevia alone to sweeten, and I've used it in combination with Splenda-sweetened syrups in certain applications.

Many people do find a synergistic effect when mixing sweetners... I don't see anything wrong with doing so, if your taste buds prefer it.

[smellykitty]

I bought the brand of Stevia that lowcarbman mentioned, and conveniently you can pour 2/3 cup of water right into the container. No need to mark a seperate container!

One last question:

1/4t = 1 cup sugar

You did mean teaspoon right?

[bilbo]

dizneegirl:

I've tried looking online for what percentage stevioside is present in NOW Brand stevia. But I can't find the information.

The best info I could find is: 'NOW® Stevia Extract is made with a high rebaudioside content and a less bitter after-taste.'

Do you know the percentage?

I'm not making a mistake in preparation or use, so I can only assume the brand I have isn't as good quality as others.

[jenks]

I bought White Stevia Quick dissolve tablets. It says 1 tab has 60 mg of stevis extract. Then I looked on their website and found this chart,
When using NuNaturals Stevia Products
Reduce Sugar By Reduce Sugar By
1 tsp 1 cup (48 tsp)
Use White Stevia Use White Stevia
White Stevia Pure Extract
1/64 tsp 1 tsp
White Stevia NoCarbs Bulk Powder(w/Erithritol)
1/8 tsp 6tsp
White Stevia Packets
1/2 packet 24 pkts
White Stevia Quick Dissolve Tabs
1 Tab 64 tabs
Clear Stevia Liquid Extract
5 Drops 12 droppers (240 drops)
Alcohol Free Stevia Liquid Extract
7 drops 15 1/2 dropper (310 drops)
Do you think I can make liguid stevia/splenda stuff with these?
Thanks

[judibry]

I came across this conversion chart on another website.
I'm getting ready to try the liquid stevia as I cannot find a source anywhere around here for the sugar free coffee syrups. I've looked everywhere.
Thank you for all the great info ... this is an excellent topic.


Sugar Granulated Splenda® Sweet 'N None!™ (tsp.)
2 tsp. = 2 tsp.= 1/16t

1/4 cup =1/4 cup= 3/8t

1/3 cup= 1/3 cup= 1/2t

1/2 cup= 1/2 cup= 3/4t

3/4 cup= 3/4 cup= 1t

1 cup= 1 cup= 1 1/2t

2 cups= 2 cups= 3t

[feather319]

I use the Now brand and make the liquid with 2/3 cup water and find that I have to use a lot more than a 1/4 tsp to make 1 cup. I go through this stuff like crazy!

[Cap57]

I'm confused In the very first post of the thread, Locarbman said he created a concentration of liquid Stevia which equaled liquid Splenda, and that 1/4 tsp=1 cup of sugar. But on my bottle of liquid Splenda, it says 1 1/2 tsp=1 cup of sugar. I've gotten so I know how many drops of liquid Splenda to use in recipes, but as it is no longer available, I want to make a liquid Stevia in the same concentration. Do those of you who use it really find that 1/4 tsp is equivilent to 1 cup of sugar? Feather319, it sounds like you don't!
What about anyone else? I really want to add the right amount of water to get the same sweetening power of Liquid Splenda.
I do have the Now Brand, BTW.

[Suebird]

The liquid Splenda being sold now is not quite as concentrated as it was originally. The liquid Splenda where 1/4 tsp = 1 cup sweetness is no longer available. Some people have some that they are hoarding

[Cap57]

So if I want to duplicate the strength of my liquid Splenda, which is 6 times less strong than liquid Stevia, do I add 6 times more water to the Stevia powder?

[Suebird]

I would just mix it according to locarbman's directions & remember that 1/4 tsp = 1 cup sweetness. If you dilute it more, it may be harder to incorporate into some recipes because you may add too much liquid. That's why he made it to be a strong concentrate.

Make sure you just click the submit button once, so you don't keep triple posting.

[USexpat]

My first post--I've been watching this forum for months, and it's been a great help, though I am so jealous of all the products you can get in the US! I am visiting my parents in the US at the moment, and I've picked up some NOW brand powdered Stevia (along with loads of sugr-free stuff!) I'm excited to try it out when I get back to the UK. I've never, ever seen liquid Splenda here, we've only just been able to buy the powdered. Stevia, as you probably know, isn't available in the UK.