| Author |
Message |
    
Dirtlady
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 06:51 pm EST : |   
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Just bought one called 'stevia rebaudiana' grown by Bonnie Plants and it is so very sweet. They advertise it as a sugar substitute altho I'll probably just nibble when the sweet tooth hits me.
Dirtlady
- Georgia,
Zone "7a/8b"
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Growit
 Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:02 pm EST : |
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Huh, not heard of that one. Just read up on it here http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Stevia+rebaudiana. Sounds like it is a pretty amazing sugar substitute. Not hardy for me but easy from seed. May give it a go. Have you eaten a leaf yet Sharon? If so, what is it like?
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
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Stephie
| | Posted on Monday, March 17, 2008 - 08:58 pm EST : |
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I grew Stevia a few years ago and didn't much care for the taste. It is extremely sweet but to me, has a "green" under-taste..best way to explain it. You can buy it in health food stores for cooking but since I don't have a sweet tooth anyway, I can get along without it. It might sweeten a cuppa though, a leaf..maybe even lemon balm tea made out of lemon balm. There's a lime balm I'd like to get my hands on....wouldn't that be nice perhaps with stevia!
Stephie |
Dirtlady
| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 09:50 am EST : |
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It is amazingly sweet but I didn't notice anything like Stephie mentioned. It is also not hardy for me, being perennial only in 10/11.
Dirtlady
- Georgia,
Zone "7a/8b"
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Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 - 03:37 pm EST : |
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At present I use sweet cicely (Myrrhis odorata)to replace some sugar in stewed fruit, rhubarb for instance.
I wonder if this could be used to replace all sugar?
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
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Big_bwana
| | Posted on Thursday, May 08, 2008 - 11:45 pm EST : |
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It does have a biter aftertaste, but the kids like it, and they don't get hyper... Richters seed has a hybrid this year which they claim doesn't have an aftertaste but I have yet to try it ....
Big_bwana
- Alberta,
Zone "3a"
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Stephie
| | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 12:43 pm EST : |
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I love sweet cicely! I chew the stalks..great breath sweetener and just a great all 'round "candy" substitute...I wonder if you could make a hard candy similarly made like horehound? Licorice!!!! because of its flavor maybe not a all purpose sweetener, but glad you mentioned it.....btw...it's a bit invasive. I cut off the flowers to maintain its ferny look all summer too.
Stephie |
Growit
Supporting Member
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| | Posted on Friday, May 09, 2008 - 05:43 pm EST : |
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Me too!
It does selfseed very readily and with those long taproots it is not easy to remove but not much of a problem for me as my kids love to eat the seeds. They love licorice (so do I) and I gave them some seeds to chew on when they were young and now they ask me every year if it is sweety cicely time lol!
Growit
- Hants UK,
Zone "8/9"
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Greth
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 03, 2008 - 09:20 pm EST : |
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Stephie, I might be able to help you with lime balm seeds. send me a message if interested. It has gone mad in my veggie patch.I havent tried harvesting the seed, but it sure is fertile!I now have lemon balm as well growing in the veggie patch, so uncertain whether it will still be true to type. I usually propagate it from cutting (when I'm doing it deliberately!) just to be sure.
Typical me to have lime balm self seeding before I can successfully keep lemon balm alive, teehee.
Greth
- South Australia,
Zone "?"
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