Oh my stars! I was so thrilled to see this video because I had almost a quart of dehydrated Stevia from the only plant I’ve ever grown successfully. As soon as I saw this video, I ran out and bought a bottle of vodka and made the most fantastic Stevia drops I’ve ever tasted. I’m 76 years old and learn something new every day. Thank you so much, Sarah, for this video and all you do to teach us old dogs new tricks!
I love growing stevia. I will grow bee balm, sweet basil, thai basil, spearmint and stevia, pick and dry large batches of this on a shower curtain and when dry, crunch it up to take out the stems, and store in jars as herbal tea. With stevia in it you don't need to add sweetner.
I love your videos! You are so knowledgeable, explain everything so well and you have a wonderful spirit which makes your videos very enjoyable to watch ❤
I’m sorry I have to add another comment! One of the biggest reasons I keep watching you guys (besides the fact that I like you ) is that you try new ways to do stuff and if it doesn’t work you’re not afraid to say it didn’t work and why. And as you know that makes it so others don’t have to make the same mistakes! Love you guys! ❤❤❤God bless!!!
EXTRA INFO / WARNING: Be VERY careful as you heat and reduce your mixture on a GAS stove. You are producing alcohol fumes right next to a naked flame, which can cause a fire. Use your extractor fan, or an electric element is even better. Also, Sarah, the concentration of your drops is probably different than the Azure drops which means you will probably need to use a different amount for the same effect. Great video, TFS. As a retired Chemist I just had to add the warning, hope you don’t mind. I know you and Kevin always take safety seriously. 😊
I was wondering if you could sous vide the liquid or pasteurize it rather than simmering it. Would that take the alcohol out of if it would even be necessary to take the alcohol out.
That will be a project for me to try next season. I grew stevia once quite a few years ago and it grew like a weed but I didn't really know how to use it, so it mostly went to compost. Thanks for the tip about not boiling it because that probably contributed to my failure as well. 😊
When you are having "weather", I wish you would open and close your videos with short scene-setter shots of what is happening outside. The weather where we are watching is different. It helps us have a feel of the location we are watching. I'm in California. I like seeing your fall and winter weather - even your heat spells.
You mentioned you were on the Keto diet and that's why you wanted to drop the sugar and said you felt Stevia would be okay because it's a plant. Sugar Cane and sugar beet are also plants, and can be grown at home to produce sweeteners. Is it just the commercially processed sugar that's the issue?
Sarah, You really are an amazing lady! I appreciate all the good homesteading knowledge you and Kevin share, especially recipes like this. Thank you and God Bless!😇🥰
I harvested my 2nd year stevia this year and now I know how to make it into drops. And I just purchased vodka for my vanilla so I already have everything I need including amber dropper bottles! Thank you!
Thank you so much. I live a little east of you guys and am so thrilled to follow your lead when it comes to gardening in this area. I grew some stevia this year and had no idea how to process it. YOU ARE THE BEST!! Thank you.
Made my first batch of stevia drops recently, wonderful to have in the fridge. Important to note that alcohol has a much lower boiling point than water does, so you want to 'steam' out the alcohol, never let it near the boiling point. Once reduced by 40-50%, there will be only trace amounts of alcohol left behind in the drops.
Thank you so much this is the first time I have totally understood how to this. I have been growing stevia for awhile and never knew how to make the drops.
Wow! I never would have thought it was so easy. I love liquid stevia (organic, 100%) and although the price doesn't bother me (2 oz lasts about a month - $5) it would be so amazing to try this on my own. Fantastic. :-)
This was a timely video I just harvested a large batch of easy to grow Stevia completely organic. I like to use organic vodka for my tinctures and extracts. I think it takes the product up a whole new level of goodness… Not to be critical, because I think your video was excellent but I think using a plastic spoon in vodka, which is a solvent and then adding heat, is very likely going to release some of the plastic into your wonderful extract. I would use a metal spoon, stainless just like your stainless steel pot and your stainless steel strainer. Making our medicines in our kitchen can be so rewarding. I think the investment and stainless steel measuring cups bowls, measuring spoons, cooking pot strainer and stainless steel. Funnel is an excellent investment and very often can be found at the thrift stores if a person is on a limited budget. Keep the videos Coming! 🍀
I am so glad someone has brought up this subject. I’ve been growing my own stevia for several years and had been disappointed in the dehydrated leaves. I never thought about making a tincture, and really didn’t know even what that would involve. I am now going to go buy some vodka and do this with all my saved stevia leaves! Yay!
I used to grow stevia on my porch in Seminole, Florida, and also in the back yard of the house we bought to be my then-husband's business location; where it was SO happy, it rooted into the ground around the pots, and actually set viable seed, which isn't a given for stevia. In the 70s, I used to buy a Christmas spice tea on the Marina Peninsula in the LA, California area, that was naturally sweet without sugar - it wasn't until I was introduced to stevia that I realized it was their "secret" ingredient. I want to start growing it again.
I eat a Keto/Meat based diet. I don't use enough of any sweetener to make my own stevia drops. But, this is an awesome video that I will keep in my back pocket and share! Thank you Sarah for your very informative and instructional videos.
Thanks for sharing a great product ❤. I love my Pioneer Woman coffee mugs, they’re so lovely & refreshing to view when drinking my coffee or tea to start my day 🎉❤
Thank you for creating this video. I am growing my first stevia plant in this year’s garden but didn’t know how I was going to process it. Now I have the procedure right here in my hands. Thank you so very much!!!
Wow! Thank you SO much for that info! I grew stevia this year for the first time and freeze dried a bunch, not knowing what I was going to do with it. I just might have to go and buy some vodka today! Thanks again! And I LOOOVVEEE all your shirts! 😀
Do your stevia plants survive the winter in your greenhouse ? If so can you show how they are taken care of ? If not can you show us any tricks to start seeds. Pretty Please 🌹🌸
THANK YOU! Was waiting for this video. I have lots of stevia and so looking forward to making this extract! God bless! You have helped me with so many projects on our farm with the gardens and canning!! So love watching your canning videos while I did my canning this summer!!
Ditto! I hung mine to dry for the past few weeks and just this morning I sampled it just to see how the plant tasted. It tasted a little off, so I ended up composting it, sadly. However, this video will have me try growing a different variety of stevia next year.
I'm diabetic and have been looking into healthier ways to sweeten my coffee! Lol. Was doing a little research into stevia products but like you did not want the additives, kinda defeats the purpose...never thought to grow it! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I've been doing the same extract for over 30 years. What I've learned to do about the bitterness is to pretreat the ethanol, be it home made or store bought vodka with potassium permanganate. About a teaspoon to a fifth, shake it up and let it settle a few days. There will be an oxidized layer of impurity sludge at the bottom. Decant the clear purified ethanol through a standard funnel that's been stuffed with cotton balls down in the taper. This leaves you with a very pure ethanol base to make your extract. Cheers!
So thankful that you have shared this "oh so easy recipe!" Great for home and awesome for gifts as well! Blessings on your day Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛💕Carolyn in Ohio
Thank you so much for this video...i smiled when you used a coffee filter for straining... that's what i use when i make tintures and firestarter anything you need to strain . I'm going to do this next year if i find the stevia plant
THANK YOU for posting this. I'm thinking of trying the first steps of leaves and vodka for 36 hours, then straining that back into the vodka bottle to store that way on the shelf. As I need the drops I could do the simmering step and store that in the frig.
Man. I’d love this so much. Why why why did my body have to decide that stevia was a no. I 100% break out in hives. Supposedly it’s part of the ragweed family which I guess makes sense given my other allergies. Just ugh! Lol
Good morning 🙏😊 And thank you again! I’m already planning to grow my own stevia next summer! My husband is diabetic but uses stevia on occasion in his tea. I get it from azure but it would be so wonderful to have my own homegrown stevia! Love your videos Have a blessed week 🙏😊
I made this a couple years ago, but mine was bitter. I will try again using your method. My stevia plant is ready and waiting! Yeah! Great timing! Thanks!!!!! Love your videos.
The trick to avoid the bitter is to never let the plant blossom. I made that mistake and have to start with a new plant. Once it has flowers that’s it.
Oh my stars! I was so thrilled to see this video because I had almost a quart of dehydrated Stevia from the only plant I’ve ever grown successfully. As soon as I saw this video, I ran out and bought a bottle of vodka and made the most fantastic Stevia drops I’ve ever tasted. I’m 76 years old and learn something new every day. Thank you so much, Sarah, for this video and all you do to teach us old dogs new tricks!
I love growing stevia. I will grow bee balm, sweet basil, thai basil, spearmint and stevia, pick and dry large batches of this on a shower curtain and when dry, crunch it up to take out the stems, and store in jars as herbal tea. With stevia in it you don't need to add sweetner.
Great tip
I love your videos! You are so knowledgeable, explain everything so well and you have a wonderful spirit which makes your videos very enjoyable to watch ❤
I’m sorry I have to add another comment! One of the biggest reasons I keep watching you guys (besides the fact that I like you ) is that you try new ways to do stuff and if it doesn’t work you’re not afraid to say it didn’t work and why. And as you know that makes it so others don’t have to make the same mistakes! Love you guys! ❤❤❤God bless!!!
EXTRA INFO / WARNING: Be VERY careful as you heat and reduce your mixture on a GAS stove. You are producing alcohol fumes right next to a naked flame, which can cause a fire. Use your extractor fan, or an electric element is even better. Also, Sarah, the concentration of your drops is probably different than the Azure drops which means you will probably need to use a different amount for the same effect. Great video, TFS. As a retired Chemist I just had to add the warning, hope you don’t mind. I know you and Kevin always take safety seriously. 😊
I was wondering if you could sous vide the liquid or pasteurize it rather than simmering it. Would that take the alcohol out of if it would even be necessary to take the alcohol out.
@@barbaradumler6503 Good thought, but, sous vide is done in a vacuum sealed bag, so it wouldn't be reduced
Married to a Chemical Engineer, He verified,
Unnecessary warning, in my opinion. If, anyone needed that warning, perhaps they should just buy from a store and leave it to the adults.
Since I have a gas stove, I’m a bit nervous to reduce my stevia & alcohol.
I’m so glad you did this now I know how to make my own stevia drops!
Looks like the most difficult part is growing the stevia plant! Thank you for showing us how simple this is.
That will be a project for me to try next season. I grew stevia once quite a few years ago and it grew like a weed but I didn't really know how to use it, so it mostly went to compost. Thanks for the tip about not boiling it because that probably contributed to my failure as well. 😊
“Sweet” video!!! Thanks a bunch and a bunch and another big bunch!
When you are having "weather", I wish you would open and close your videos with short scene-setter shots of what is happening outside. The weather where we are watching is different. It helps us have a feel of the location we are watching.
I'm in California. I like seeing your fall and winter weather - even your heat spells.
Sara, you are so great at teaching on your videos. Love watching and learning. 💛👏
We have stevia growing in the garden, what a perfect project for it! Thank you Sarah!!!
Thank you, Sara! I started growing my own Stevia this year. Looking forward to making mine! Blessings to you all!
I just dried mine then grounded it up. Then I just add a tip of a spoon to my tea. Done
You mentioned you were on the Keto diet and that's why you wanted to drop the sugar and said you felt Stevia would be okay because it's a plant. Sugar Cane and sugar beet are also plants, and can be grown at home to produce sweeteners. Is it just the commercially processed sugar that's the issue?
Sarah, You really are an amazing lady! I appreciate all the good homesteading knowledge you and Kevin share, especially recipes like this. Thank you and God Bless!😇🥰
Awesome video 👍🏼❤
Thank you for sharing all your knowledge of growing and using what you grow. You’re are an awesome blessing!!!
I harvested my 2nd year stevia this year and now I know how to make it into drops. And I just purchased vodka for my vanilla so I already have everything I need including amber dropper bottles! Thank you!
Thank you so much. I live a little east of you guys and am so thrilled to follow your lead when it comes to gardening in this area. I grew some stevia this year and had no idea how to process it. YOU ARE THE BEST!! Thank you.
I'm always learning here🎉❤
Made my first batch of stevia drops recently, wonderful to have in the fridge.
Important to note that alcohol has a much lower boiling point than water does, so you want to 'steam' out the alcohol, never let it near the boiling point. Once reduced by 40-50%, there will be only trace amounts of alcohol left behind in the drops.
TYVM for all you and Kevin share of your life with us.❤ I will be making this recipe for sure!
Thanks, Sarah! You ROCK!
This was so interesting to me!
Thank you so much this is the first time I have totally understood how to this. I have been growing stevia for awhile and never knew how to make the drops.
I’ve been gathering stevia all summer from my garden and appreciate this tutorial!
Great Video....
Awesome video!
So happy to see you make this! Thank you!
Thank you!
Love when you so us how to do things like this🙏
Wow! I never would have thought it was so easy. I love liquid stevia (organic, 100%) and although the price doesn't bother me (2 oz lasts about a month - $5) it would be so amazing to try this on my own. Fantastic. :-)
Awesome share Sarah! My plants are ready to harvest, this was perfect timing.
So cool. I think I want to try that.
This was a timely video I just harvested a large batch of easy to grow Stevia completely organic.
I like to use organic vodka for my tinctures and extracts. I think it takes the product up a whole new level of goodness… Not to be critical, because I think your video was excellent but I think using a plastic spoon in vodka, which is a solvent and then adding heat, is very likely going to release some of the plastic into your wonderful extract. I would use a metal spoon, stainless just like your stainless steel pot and your stainless steel strainer.
Making our medicines in our kitchen can be so rewarding. I think the investment and stainless steel measuring cups bowls, measuring spoons, cooking pot strainer and stainless steel. Funnel is an excellent investment and very often can be found at the thrift stores if a person is on a limited budget.
Keep the videos Coming! 🍀
That’s awesome.
AWESOME-NESS
Sounds like I need to invest some time into growing Stevia! Thanks for the today's video! 🙂
Thats awesome.
Good ☕️☕️ Morning Kevin & Sarah,Thank you for sharing this interesting video.🌹
Wow thanks for all the info I'm starting my stevia seeds tomorrow
Nice to see how to make it. Will try that one myself. Love the channel.
Congratulations!
The Lord sure did bless you!
What climate do you live in?
I think my growing season is too northern in WV.
The 36 hour wait time is critical. I have done this and forgotten the stevia. It is beyond horrible. The shorter time works. Thanks for this video!
I am so impressed
Such knowledge! Thanks for sharing!
I am so glad someone has brought up this subject. I’ve been growing my own stevia for several years and had been disappointed in the dehydrated leaves. I never thought about making a tincture, and really didn’t know even what that would involve. I am now going to go buy some vodka and do this with all my saved stevia leaves! Yay!
Bravo & thank you! Love it when you do all the work of digi things out and I get to reap the benefits haha.
I love, enjoy, & look forward to all of your videos. Thank you for all the wonderful things you’ve shared & taught me. God bless
I used to grow stevia on my porch in Seminole, Florida, and also in the back yard of the house we bought to be my then-husband's business location; where it was SO happy, it rooted into the ground around the pots, and actually set viable seed, which isn't a given for stevia.
In the 70s, I used to buy a Christmas spice tea on the Marina Peninsula in the LA, California area, that was naturally sweet without sugar - it wasn't until I was introduced to stevia that I realized it was their "secret" ingredient.
I want to start growing it again.
You are so articulate and full of information. Thank you for your Awesome videos!
Shine On! 🌻
Thankyou for sharing your knowledge, this is so helpful.
Very interesting
I love your countertops!
Thank you for the video
Thank u so much and God Bless
I grew Stevia this year and dehydrated it, thank you so much for showing how to do the liquid- mind blown!
Your stevia sounds great I will have to try making it that way some time
I LOVE IT!!! Thanks, Sarah! I use Stevia, but have yet to grow my own plants! That is my next project! Thanks, again! God bless!
I eat a Keto/Meat based diet. I don't use enough of any sweetener to make my own stevia drops. But, this is an awesome video that I will keep in my back pocket and share! Thank you Sarah for your very informative and instructional videos.
Would also make a wonderful gift...🌻
Just wanted to say, thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.
I started my own garden this year and found your channel recently. Thank you for making these videos - I'm learning a lot.
Thank you!! I am growing stevia right now! I am saving this for when I harvest in Nov/Dec. I am in Florida.
Dampen the coffee filter first so it soaks up less of the extract liquid.
Yes, this!! Always dampen the filter before use to get all of what is filtering to go through
My wife loves the alternative stevia ! Much healthier we will keep this in mind,thanks
This is amazing!! I will now try and grow my own Stevia!
This was an excellent video I intend to do it myself I've always wanted to try it and here we go
Thanks for sharing a great product ❤. I love my Pioneer Woman coffee mugs, they’re so lovely & refreshing to view when drinking my coffee or tea to start my day 🎉❤
Thank you for creating this video. I am growing my first stevia plant in this year’s garden but didn’t know how I was going to process it. Now I have the procedure right here in my hands. Thank you so very much!!!
Im going to do this. Thank You😊❤
Enjoyed watching 👍👍
That is great! Very interesting how it's done.
Wow! Thank you SO much for that info! I grew stevia this year for the first time and freeze dried a bunch, not knowing what I was going to do with it. I just might have to go and buy some vodka today! Thanks again! And I LOOOVVEEE all your shirts! 😀
Thank you! Learned something new again!!!!
Do your stevia plants survive the winter in your greenhouse ? If so can you show how they are taken care of ? If not can you show us any tricks to start seeds. Pretty Please 🌹🌸
No, they do not. We will be starting more from seed next spring.
THANK YOU! Was waiting for this video. I have lots of stevia and so looking forward to making this extract! God bless! You have helped me with so many projects on our farm with the gardens and canning!! So love watching your canning videos while I did my canning this summer!!
I grew stevia this year but didn't know what I was going to do with it! Thanks for some inspiration.
Ditto! I hung mine to dry for the past few weeks and just this morning I sampled it just to see how the plant tasted. It tasted a little off, so I ended up composting it, sadly. However, this video will have me try growing a different variety of stevia next year.
great video , thank you
I'm diabetic and have been looking into healthier ways to sweeten my coffee! Lol. Was doing a little research into stevia products but like you did not want the additives, kinda defeats the purpose...never thought to grow it! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
I can't wait to try!
I've been doing the same extract for over 30 years. What I've learned to do about the bitterness is to pretreat the ethanol, be it home made or store bought vodka with potassium permanganate. About a teaspoon to a fifth, shake it up and let it settle a few days. There will be an oxidized layer of impurity sludge at the bottom. Decant the clear purified ethanol through a standard funnel that's been stuffed with cotton balls down in the taper. This leaves you with a very pure ethanol base to make your extract. Cheers!
I want to try this!!
So thankful that you have shared this "oh so easy recipe!" Great for home and awesome for gifts as well! Blessings on your day Kiddo!🥰🌻🐛💕Carolyn in Ohio
Thank you so much for this video...i smiled when you used a coffee filter for straining... that's what i use when i make tintures and firestarter anything you need to strain . I'm going to do this next year if i find the stevia plant
THANK YOU for posting this. I'm thinking of trying the first steps of leaves and vodka for 36 hours, then straining that back into the vodka bottle to store that way on the shelf. As I need the drops I could do the simmering step and store that in the frig.
Thanks. I may try it.
Man. I’d love this so much. Why why why did my body have to decide that stevia was a no. I 100% break out in hives. Supposedly it’s part of the ragweed family which I guess makes sense given my other allergies. Just ugh! Lol
Thank you! I just read that arnica is also in ragweed family...
@@betty8173 oh interesting.
I love growing herbs and want to learn about tinctures and preserving the herbs for use in cooking. Thank you for the great information.
This is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
Love this!!! Thank you for sharing!
This is SO EXCITING!! I really want to do this myself too!!! Having to watch my sugar intake, this would definitely help with eating healthier.
Totally trying this
I love your shirt.
Good morning 🙏😊
And thank you again! I’m already planning to grow my own stevia next summer! My husband is diabetic but uses stevia on occasion in his tea. I get it from azure but it would be so wonderful to have my own homegrown stevia!
Love your videos
Have a blessed week 🙏😊
Sara and Kev, you did a Great Job on the Weed Cloth and Raised beds, it looks Fantastic. 🥦🥕🧄
I had no idea! I may need to try this next garden!!
I made this a couple years ago, but mine was bitter. I will try again using your method. My stevia plant is ready and waiting! Yeah! Great timing! Thanks!!!!! Love your videos.
Same here. I have some Stevia left in the garden so will try again!
The trick to avoid the bitter is to never let the plant blossom. I made that mistake and have to start with a new plant. Once it has flowers that’s it.
Thank you so much!
I have always wondered how that process was done. Thanks so much for sharing that.