Diet Meal Plans Stevia Sweetener
What Is Stevia Sweetener?
Stevia sweetener is made from a species of herbs known as “Stevia Rebaudiana Bertoni”. It is also known by the name “sweet leaf” or “sugar leaf”. The native tribes of Paraguay and Brazil have been using the stevia sweetener from several hundred years as a sweetener as well as a medicine. People of these tribes used fresh leaves of Stevia to make tea and used it for treating heartburn and other ailments.
Stevia sweetener is produced by extracting the sweetening agents from the stevia leaf. The sweetening agents present in the stevia leaf are: glycosides, steviosides and rebaudiosides. These agents are responsible for giving stevia sweetener a taste that is 250-300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia sweetener is not only sweeter, but also healthier than sugar because the glycosides present in it do not get metabolized in the body, therefore, no extra calories get piled on by consuming it. Japan is well versed with the health benefits of the stevia sweetener since many years, and this is the reason why stevia sweetener has been one of the prime sugar substitutes that is used in Japan, since many decades.
Stevia sweetener is available in the market in its leaf form, as a refined liquid or in powder form. In leaf form, stevia sweetener is 15-40 times sweeter than sugar. It is also very rich in nutrition as it contains many vitamins and minerals.
Why Should You Consider Choosing It?
Stevia sweetener is better than sugar, not only in terms of its sweet taste and health benefits, but also because it is considered as the best sugar substitute that is available. In the United States, aspartame is the most widely used sugar substitute, but it has many ill effects on health, like seizures, tumors, blindness and mood swings. Even after using the stevia sweetener for several hundred years in South America and many years of study in Japan, Europe and United States, there has not been even a single side effect on humans that have been linked to Stevia sweetener.
Making Jam With Stevia
Things you will need:
fresh berries - 1 1/2 quarts
unsweetened fruit juice concentrate - 1 cup
pectin powder - 2 tsp.
powdered stevia extract - 3/4 tsp.
Glass jars.
Method:
Wash the jars and sterilize them. Clean the berries remove hulls and mash them in a bowl. Place the mashed berries in a saucepan and add 4 tsp. calcium water, stir well. Take the juice concentrate in another saucepan and bring to boil. Put it in a blender, add 2 tsp of pectin powder and blend for 1-2 minutes until the powder is dissolved. Add this mixture to the berries and bring to boil, stirring vigorously for I minute. Add the stevia extract, bring to boil and remove from heat. Put this mixture in the glass jars to and make sure to leave ½ inch from the top of the jar. Screw on lids and place them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Remove from water and allow the jars to cool.