Liquid Stevia Gf?

[Rachel--24]

Liquid stevia has grain alcohol and natural flavors... I'm wondering if anyone knows whether its gluten-free or not?

[VydorScope]

I have no idea, but I think it would depend on brand. 100% steviva is gluten-free, but again its a question of addtives and proccessing.

[KaitiUSA]

I use the SweetLeaf brand of liquid stevia and that is gluten free.

[VydorScope]

I use the SweetLeaf brand of liquid stevia and that is gluten free.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where do you get it? I have been wanting to try ti... but its more then tripple the price of Splenda, and thats already expensive.

[taweavmo3]

I don't know about the gluten free status, but I've been wanting to try this too. I've been using turbinado, or raw sugar, instead of the refined white sugar. Now I want to try stevia, after reading some info on it. It seems like a great alternative to sugar. It is pricey, but since you only use a tiny amount to sweeten, it should last a while. I have been able to find it at any health food market in my area, and the price seems to vary by brand.

I'm curious to see if anyone bakes with it...does it work????

[VydorScope]

I don't know about the gluten free status, but I've been wanting to try this too.  I've been using turbinado, or raw sugar, instead of the refined white sugar.  Now I want to try stevia, after reading some info on it.  It seems like a great alternative to sugar.  It is pricey, but since you only use a tiny amount to sweeten, it should last a while.  I have been able to find it at any health food market in my area, and the price seems to vary by brand.

I'm curious to see if anyone bakes with it...does it work????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh Wholedfoods and Kroger both carry it, but at an outrages price. They both carry those packet sizes that sposed to equal 1 spoon of sugar, and useing that as a price compare I came up with around 3 times the price of splenda, which is already more expensive then the raw natural sugar that I use when baking/etc. I dunno the price of the white grabage some ppl seem to think is sugar,but I would guess its alot less still.

[skbird]

I think I like the taste of the liquid stevias the best. I can't remember which brand, maybe it's sweet leaf that I currently am using. As for baking, it doesn't have bulk so you need to add something else. You can get stevia that is mixed with other fillers, such as the kind they put in the individual packets Vydor mentioned - those are usually stronger than one bag of sugar though, I found I could split one, too much otherwise.

Liquid is purer or at least has less additives. If you use fruit, you could mix with applesauce or banana or something. My best baking experiences involve using stevia with xylitol. Or to cut down on another sugar. It doesn't carmelize and has no bulk. Regular sugar adds moisture, but stevia doesn't.

There are some cookbooks using stevia but I haven't gone too far with them.

My favorite uses for stevia are adding just a little more sweetness to baked goods I have skimped on using honey or agave nectar with, making hot chocolate (all liquid stevia - like 10 drops per cup), or making ice cream.

My ice cream recipe off the top of my head is:

1 cup half and half

1 cup coconut milk

1 mushed banana

1 tsp vanilla

stevia to taste

put in ice cream maker and follow directions. Because there isn't any real sugar (minus the banana) in there, it freezes solid if you store it so it's a good idea to eat that night. I haven't tried other milks for the dairy but I'd bet almond milk would work - coconut milk has a lot of good fat in it so it makes it creamy.

Stephanie

[KaitiUSA]

I get Stevia at a local health food store. However, every so often a friend of ours does a co-op and we get stevia through their for way less...if anyone is interested in in you can contact me and I can let you know when they do that.

Also, the SweetLeaf has different flavors of stevia now...I have not checked on the flavored ones...just the regular one.

I like to add it to drinks and that sort of thing. They also have little packets.

For baking, I use usually half Xylitol and half sugar. Xylitol is a natural sweetener like Stevia and it better for cooking in my opinion.

[VydorScope]

I get Stevia at a local health food store. However, every so often a friend of ours does a co-op and we get stevia through their for way less...if anyone is interested in in you can contact me and I can let you know when they do that.

Also, the SweetLeaf has different flavors of stevia now...I have not checked on the flavored ones...just the regular one.

I like to add it to drinks and that sort of thing. They also have little packets.

For baking, I use usually half Xylitol and half sugar. Xylitol is a natural sweetener like Stevia and it better for cooking in my opinion.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

GRRR I keep meaning to look in to Xylitol... how bad is the pricing on that? I love to have some natural alternaitves to the white grabgage they try to pass off as sugar.

[Rachel--24]

Thanks everyone,

I was posting for someone else who emailed me with this question...not sure what brand she is using though.

[Kasey'sMom]

I've been using SweetLeaf as well. When I was doing the candida diet I used a combination of stevia and glycerin. I used it for cakes, cookies, candy etc. I used the powder version for that.

I also like the flavored SweetLeaf. I use the flavors in San Pellagrino with a squeeze of lime. I bought a bottle a couple of months ago and it doesn't even look like I've used any.