How to make STEVIA EXTRACT at home (SO EASY!!) | Auxhart Gardening

Stevia extract is so expensive! But it's so easy to make stevia extract at home. Growing a stevia plant is relatively easy and hands-off, so it's very possible to grow stevia for yourself year-round.
Let me show you the simple process of how to make stevia extract at home!
Support me and earn fun perks along the way on my Patreon page!
/ auxhartgardening
----
Welcome to Auxhart Gardening! I’m a small-scale southern gardener growing in Clemson, SC, zone 7b. I grow in two small raised beds and plenty of containers.
I experiment a lot and push the limits, hopefully helping you all along the way as I showcase what works and what doesn’t!
Follow me on Instagram @auxhartgardening
/ auxhartgardening
Music by: Molly Andorfer
/ @iamcatholic548
Contact me at: [e-mail]

[@alexsiniov]

Easier way to check when alcohol is evaporated is to check liquid temp, it will remain at 80-83c while alcohol is there, because it's boiling temp is much lower than water. So after loosing all alcohol energy, water temp will rise to 95c+ very fast, so you can turn it off at this point. It's the basic rule of distillation

[@janeokunlola3341]

This is a very good information thanks 👍 very much.pls can I know the best weather for stevia to grow well

[@alexsiniov]

@@janeokunlola3341 all green leaves love humid and cool air :))

[@arunnask1299]

Wow

[@peacewalker7675]

Thank you for the info. I lost my sense of smell some years ago so I can’t do the ‘smell’ test 👍

[@Growwithusbyfaith]

Thank you

[@kralupinensis]

The sweet-leaved raspberry (Rubus suavissimus) also has the same use,which is also frost-resistant compared to stevia. According to traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to make a medicinal drink known as Sweet tea Tian-cha. The raspberry version of steviol, called rubusoside, provides the sweet taste of the leaves of this raspberry.

[@AuxhartGardening]

That sounds cool! Thanks for sharing. :)

[@nr3157]

I read somewhere that you can use water instead of alcohol. Shread the stevia leaves add water and simmer until water evaporates. The final product is a white powder.

[@u812green7]

Alcohol starts evaporating @ 173°F, make sure to record your starting amount of vodka, so you know it is close to Alcohol free. If you leave a small amount of alcohol or all of it. It will preserve your extract without refrigeration, as long as it's sealed when not in use

[@sealand000]

Ahh, the Bob Ross of gardening. Thank you for sharing!

[@AuxhartGardening]

What a compliment! Thank you.

[@KellerAcres]

Excellent job! I grew some last year and dried it. Wasn't sure what to do with it. I will.give this a shot!!

[@jesus.christis.lord.foreve899]

Rewatching .... I like reviewing before I make things. Great and Helpful explanations Thanks!

[@ladytess23]

Nice tutorial. Thank you.

[@francesanjanette2070]

So straight to the point and easy to understand! Thank you bb

[@AuxhartGardening]

You're welcome!

[@hanson781]

Thank you Rachel, I learnt something new from you again today :) Stevia will be the next plant to add in my garden.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Wonderful!

[@kimberlywilliams6422]

Thanks for the info! Just started growing this in 2023 in Seneca! Nice to have gardening info for my area! Can't wait to try my own Stevia!

[@mattmn23]

Thank you I will be trying this. One thing to note, I would use a little better vodka only because it would have less impurities in it to start with, the higher quality to me is worth it. I really appreciate the time you took to explain the plant and the process. Good work!

[@AuxhartGardening]

I'm glad I can help!! :)

[@Reya.Reverie]

Excited to try this in the future!

[@gracielarodriguez6497]

That is great but it would be nice to get quantities

[@hopemullen9451]

This was exactly the information I was looking for😀

[@AuxhartGardening]

Awesome! Good luck!

[@oreopaksun2512]

I saved this video until I had a stevia plant growing; unlike you, I've had absolutely no luck growing one so far. I gave up growing from seed, and purchased one at a big box store. It actually survived the winter and is reshooting, some of its cuttings also rooted successfully, and hopefully, this year, I can try this recipe. As always, clear, step by step, and you make it look simple. Thanks.

[@AuxhartGardening]

I'm glad you got one growing! Sometimes buying a started plant is just what's realistic and that's okay.

[@cheylikespie]

THANK YOU!!! I just bought a stevia plant on a whim yesterday because I thought it would be cool to have before realizing I had no idea what do actually do with it.

[@AuxhartGardening]

I’ve done that with so many plants lol

[@HarryOsirian]

I'm getting one this week! ;-)

[@homesteadRCW]

I added a Stevie plant to my garden, its in a pot and I have to water it daily or it wilts. Its time to harvest leaves but I didn't really know what I was going to do. This is genius, thanks for the video!

[@backyardediblegarden]

Very informative video! We're growing stevia but haven't tried making extract. Will try this method soon. Thanks for sharing!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks! It’s pretty hard to go wrong.

[@neel6978]

@@AuxhartGardening thank you for sharing. and you have a very peaceful face. I think all people interested in gardening are like this

[@jodiemariejensen]

You are so adorable! Thank you SO much for this video. It is exactly what I needed!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@gnjprice]

I really enjoyed watching your video, excellent work.

[@catshobbycorner8975]

Very informative. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

[@elishavahwilson1601]

Great video :) I’m gonna see if I can do this. One thing I have done with Stevia is to dry the leaves and grind them up in a coffee grinder. This creates a powder. Lease easy to dissolve in a drink but very time economical

[@AuxhartGardening]

Cool idea! Maybe I'll do that with some of mine this year for comparison.

[@jackiehorsley9263]

wow that's a cool way to make stevia thanks for sharing that

[@Bishy.222]

Thank you so much! I enjoyed watching this and can't wait to extract my own stevia :)

[@dylanbjug]

Thank you for sharing! Also, you are beautiful and i really like your vibe. 🙂

[@billyjohnie]

Thanks for the info☺️

[@HarryOsirian]

Great video!! Thanks for sharing.

[@kurtisweber8649]

Very cool thanks for sharing, I’m hoping to do this soon for my coffee as well! Cheers

[@souls2sell163]

Awesome ! Thank you for sharing this !

[@shirleybeavan2907]

thank you , beautiful presentation

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thank you!!

[@lindas9699]

I'll give it a try. I plan to muddle some Stevia leaves in my iced tea also.

[@AuxhartGardening]

That seems like a good idea!

[@moneshajackson1252]

Do you use a tea infuser to hold the leaves?

[@ryanparmer3844]

Nice job! Thank you I'll use what you taught here :)

[@pajtognetti7531]

Hi Auxhart. I just came across your wonderful video on making your own stevia liquid sweetener. You have one of the best, and easy to understand videos I've seen on the subject, thank you for sharing! I have a question for you: I made my first liquid stevia sweetener using fresh leaves from my 2 stevia plants in my garden. I watched several videos on how to prepare the liquid sweetener- which is basically the same procedure as with herbal tinctures- using vodka to marinate in, but for stevia, no more than 24- 36 hours or it becomes more bitter than sweet. I made 2 batches (to test the difference in using) one with fresh, slightly chopped leaves; the other with fresh, whole leaves, both marinated in vodka for 28.5 hours. Both were strained with cheesecloth, and then each one was put on a VERY slow, miniscule bubbled simmer for 10 minutes; they both still smelled VERY STRONG of alcohol, so I added another 10 minutes; all recipes I found gave it 10-20 minutes, one suggested 30 minutes, all stressing NOT to hard boil the liquid or you sacrifice the sweet taste, as well as evaporating all the liquid out. Since the directions stated that ‘you’ll know when it is finished (how long to simmer) based on when you no longer smell the alcohol’, and mine STILL reeked of the alcohol, I left it in total up to 30 minutes. At this point, I just turned it off since half the liquid was already evaporated out (which was expected to happen), but in my opinion, it STILL smelled too strong of alcohol! I’m not sure what I did wrong or if it’s just me that feels super nauseated and sick to my stomach from smelling (checking) if the alcohol was sufficiently evaporating out during this 30 minute process? I really wanted to love this new found independence on growing Stevia plants, and making my own stevia liquid sweetener, but after trying the finished product, I am very disappointed! The taste is sweet enough on my finger- even if a bit on the alcohol side, but when I put SEVERAL drops in my cup of coffee (which I usually use just a couple drops of Sweetleaf Stevia Clear liquid or powder form), it doesn’t taste at all sweet! I have to keep adding more and more to get a slight ‘earthy’ type taste (not sure how else to describe it); it tastes from 0 sweetness to terrible, and left me with such a nauseated, sick feeling (probably from the alcohol!), I couldn’t even drink my coffee or eat anything afterwards! I had to make a chamomile tea to settle my stomach. I know this probably sounds a little dramatic, but I am severely disappointed and trying to understand where I went wrong. In your experience and educated opinion, do you think I didn’t have the bubbles high enough to evaporate all the alcohol sufficiently out or is it ‘normal’ to have somewhat of an alcohol base taste to Stevia/ herbal tinctures? Or is it possible then that it’s just me who perhaps is not able to use and consume tinctures, teas, etc. made using alcohol as the marinating medium? I saw some videos on the option of using glycerin instead, but am very weary about using a sugary syrup to make them; I would rather prefer staying away from sugars (unless natural and low glycemic- which is why I love Stevia, but not the chemically processed ones!) Thank you for any information and help you can offer me. Thank you again for your time! God bless. Paj (from Italy)

[@terrim.602]

Pardon me for jumping in, but I am wondering if it is the grains used to make the vodka that is bothering you. They won't go away during the simmer-off process. Maybe you are a candidate to simply dry and powder your homegrown stevia. I do not bother with the extracting process as arduous and the outcome is disappointing. I grow my own stevia, dry it, powder it to a very fine powder, and add the TIP of a baby spoon full in my coffee. Start with a small amount of powder because it is strong! Increase to your palate as needed. I do not mind the green residue on the edge of my coffee mug, and I love the fact I haven't used any processed sweetener that spikes my insulin first thing in the morning. *I encourage you to eat a Greek yogurt a few times per week with stevia to maintain good gut health. Maybe use plain Greek yogurt, add fruit, nuts or seeds, and powdered stevia. Yum!! ❤️

[@Seek_Him]

Which worked better? Whole leaf or chopped leaf? Thank You

[@shirleysuckrajh3380]

Thanks you did teach me something new.where can I get this seeds i live in the Caribbean

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks! I don’t know anything about seed availability in the Caribbean unfortunately:/

[@frankpanda13]

Love it! Ty! You’re adorable. Can’t wait to try.

[@luigiymario2xd]

Damn! This is way cheaper to make than I thought, maybe I could go about selling some myself haha, I bought a bag of stevia leafs cut down which costed me about $4.50 bucks but I could sell it way cheaper in extract form (considering I live in Mexico and prices are in Mexican pesos, I could still profit while selling it cheaper than Walmart)

[@kumarsanjaysingh]

Thanks for sharing .

[@TaxTheChurches.]

I have read it needs frequent or daily water. Half of my cuttings rotted and I think it's because I did water it too much. Right now I have them in a potting soil and clean sand mix. Maybe the sand will keep the roots dryish. Crossing fingers.

[@Ewr42]

I've literally never watered mine at all. Just wait till they start wilting or the soil gets visibly dry, if you do water it every day, don't drench it Plants need air on the roots as well, so maybe even dig them out a bit so that there's roots closer to the soil top getting some fresh air. Look at hydroponics set ups, there's always air roots, the plant's roots are never fully underwater for too long It's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay easier to kill a plant by overcaring than undercaring Remember, they should just grow by themselves in the wild, they don't *need* us. They know how to grow by themselves, we don't need to force it, just to make sure it isn't dying and to hear it when it screams for help. If you try to control every aspect of their lives they'll suffer, trust them to be strong enough to survive on their own minimal assistance, which is little to none at all. Just the essential. If you don't trust them to survive on their own you'll literally suffocate them to death And i guess that goes to taking care of any type of living being after the first few stages of their lives. The universe doesn't need your help existing, so let it be and appreciate the opportunity to watch it unfold, and when you do interfere with it, as part of it, do it warily, good intentions most often than not make a mess rather than fix it. I think I've digressed enough.. Just remember to take more care of yourself than anything else and that doing nothing is better than doing poorly. You'll always do more good to the universe by taking care of yourself, which is the only thing you're actually responsible for. Don't act unless you must and only if you're absolutely sure you can help and that not helping would surely be worse. Anyway, i hope your plants are doing great and sorry for using you to write all this stuff up for myself

[@TaxTheChurches.]

@@Ewr42 Don't apologize! I needed to read that.

[@urbster1]

whoa this is incredible, thank you for sharing! excited to grow some stevia next spring!!

[@emwhoman]

Hi! How long is this good for while stored in the fridge?

[@patriciadavis7444]

THANKS FOR THE INFORMATION MY DEAR

[@AuxhartGardening]

You're welcome!

[@markthome1673]

I use it for psoriasis…apply it at night and rinse in the morning

[@ThinkPraise]

I purchased my 1st plant several weeks ago and didn’t have a clue how to get from plant to the cup of tea. However I found your video and I enjoy your instructions (and shared the video), your voice is so calming and you explained everything. Thank you. There were 2 stalks so I cut one so I’ll try growing it in my wee inside greenhouse LOL. Hopefully I can share my progress. Happy growing 🌱

[@AuxhartGardening]

Oh thank you! I've been told that before about my voice but to me it's just my voice lol. Also, I learned this year that stevia will grow back from it's roots if it dies over the winter, and will be more vigorous of a grower, so don't give up on it if it looks dead this winter!

[@DemetriaUy]

I just put a green leaf in my tea. I squash it between my fingers and stick my fingernails into it first.

[@deeblack2847]

Thanks I will try that..

[@suzanneweary9739]

This was so helpful with simple instructions to follow. Thank you.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@anarelle]

Amazing! Does anyone know how long the extract lasts if correctly kept in a glass bottle in the fridge?

[@Scottybeammeup2]

I am sure, several months at least. The store stevia does.

[@hussainwarraich8139]

Thank you Rachel for sharing such very informative video 👍👍😊

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bluebutterflywellness2273]

This is SO AWESOME!! 💃🏽🤸🏽‍♀️💃🏽 I am a heavy stevia user and just got a bunch of leaves today and can't wait to process. Question: How much volume of leaves to amount of vodka is necessary? Thanks so much for this!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Good question, I don't have an exact answer for this. I usually just make sure the leaves are fully covered. I think it's easy to adjust the flavor later to your taste by either diluting it with water or continuing to simmer it until some of the extra water boils away.

[@bigdanny9721]

How long can you keep in in the fridge? Thank you for the video very informative

[@AuxhartGardening]

It's not a straight answer. It won't 'go bad' as in mold because of the alcohol, but it will deteriorate over time and lose it's potency. It will stay good for at least 1-2 years, and after that you might notice a little flavor change as it slowly deteriorates.

[@sarahbelcher9320]

How long does it last in the bottles? How would you store it for long term?

[@margarita9100]

What a nice channel! Subscribed! 👌May I ask for how long can I safely store the extracted stevia liquid in the fridge? Planning to make a large batch... 😁

[@AuxhartGardening]

I can't give you an exact time, but I'd expect it to last for at least a year. As always though, use your eyes and your nose to make sure you don't end up consuming something gone bad.

[@margarita9100]

@@AuxhartGardening Thank you so much! You're a gem. 💟

[@joanneasterling2051]

How long will it keep in the refrigerator?

[@Mracelocates]

Can you use a whippet to create the tincture like with Green Dragon?

[@dananjanirathnayake5059]

Wow Incredible How long we can keep a bottle in fridge?

[@minimasuo]

Thank you!

[@royelhans6306]

Thanks you sweet girl I learned something wonderful today from you

[@ShelitaRN]

Thank you so much! I can't wait to make this!

[@AuxhartGardening]

You are so welcome!

[@7Archie4]

Interesting! is there other way w/o using alcohol?

[@bls924]

How long will this last in the refrigerator? Have you kept any for long term storage? I'm wondering about making extra to last until the next growing season.

[@goldenwhisper66]

How long does it keep in fridge?

[@wildabezet860]

Thanks for demonstrating such a simple way to make stevia extract…no thermometers or special equipment required.

[@debiegordon3787]

ThanQ for this💜💜💜 video...will definitely try as I DO use Stevie & the price has gone up quite a bit😳

[@AuxhartGardening]

Good luck!!

[@DJ-uk5mm]

Thanks bill trynthis

[@Happy2Run4Me]

I think you could make a glycerine with this method and vegetable (food grade) glycerin but I don’t know what amounts or ratios to use for that. I may experiment with that! I hear stevia glycerite has no bitterness whatsoever. 🤷🏻‍♀️I hear it’s another medium to use for extraction as well as the alcohol. I guess I’ll find out!😁

[@kwanerebel3189]

Doesnt that defeat the purpose of having 0 calories or does the calories from the glycerin diminish with the evaporation process?

[@bartacomuskidd775]

What a sweetie! Am i talking about the plant or the gardener? ..Yall will never know.

[@Seek_Him]

Thank you

[@Botanifiles]

That was great, super useful, thanks!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bilaljanart]

You have a stunning personality. By the way instead of evaporating all the alchohol later, why not do it with water in the first place?

[@AuxhartGardening]

Alcohol can extract things from plants that water cannot. The chemistry of how it dissolves certain chemical constituents of the plant is simply different.

[@fishmed1]

Great information.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks!

[@bobbycarmichael2562]

Hi Rachel good video. So I use the powdered form of natural stevia for my coffee but it is a pain in the butt because I have to mix it in the coffee and then use a strainer.. So I am curious if I do the liquid form that you made how many drops do you put in your coffee? How long does that batch of liquid last you if you use it for coffee everyday?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I find the strength varies a little with how exact I'm feeling like being when I'm making it, but usually a dropper-full in my coffee is enough, when I'm feeling like having sweetness. But I don't like a lot of sugar, and I don't use it every day. It can last me a few months. You'd probably go through it faster if you liked very sweet coffee.

[@bobbycarmichael2562]

@@AuxhartGardening Thank you for taking your time to answer

[@CoffeePlantsRepeat]

What is the measurement of leaves to vodka?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I'll be honest, I'm not super exact about it, I usually just make sure the leaves are covered.

[@ghmichel72]

Thank you for sharing ✊🏾 Can the leaves be resoaked to potentially extract stevia a 2nd or 3rd time?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I actually don't know! I've never tried to do that.

[@jeremiahbullfrog9288]

Will it extract more if you use Everclear (190 proof)?

[@dr.iqbalmustafa1493]

Informative video

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks

[@christineeverson840]

Have you ever saved the seeds from your flowers to propagate for next year’s plants?

[@abraham3901]

thank you.

[@AuxhartGardening]

You're welcome

[@olgamotorina6415]

smart girl! Thank you!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrisvdd000]

How often do you water your stevia plant?

[@gardenofedencoltd..3048]

Thanks for sharing this wonderful content ❤️ greetings from Cameroon. I want to grow tones of stevia

[@guillermogutierrezarmenta7107]

Isnt alchol going to be adhered to stevia glycols? Im diabetic and lyme so alcohol is a no no i wonder if boiling it is good for the glycemic index thing,im so scared i dont wanna gamble with my health

[@tftv7639]

How long does one dropper bottle last you?

[@Passionbloom52]

This is cool , never heard of it to be honest . What exactly is the extract usually used for ?

[@AuxhartGardening]

Sweetening things! Tea is a common one, but you can also use it in baking.

[@Adeline9418]

Could i grow stevia indoors?

[@danieledoardo]

thx! greetings from mexico!

[@AuxhartGardening]

Welcome!

[@DemetriaUy]

Question: I you don’t boil away (all) the alcohol, can it be left out of the fridge?

[@jaedo71]

Do you recommend 24 or 48 hrs?

[@Seek_Him]

24-48 hours. I made it doing 48 hours.

[@stacies.4366]

Love this!❤️

[@AuxhartGardening]

Thanks!

[@joshuastephen1678]

Hey Rachel what is zone 7B?

[@AuxhartGardening]

The USDA has created a zone map, which classifies areas by their coldest average winter temperate. This is used as a rough guide to determine if different plants will survive the winter in a given area.

[@robertcabuyoc]

What kind of alcohol

[@dranildev]

Can you suggest me mam safe in diabetic patients please 🙏

[@AuxhartGardening]

I'm not qualified to answer that, sorry, I have no idea.

[@balenciaerskine6187]

What is the purpose in using alcohol if you are going to boil out. Is there a substitute for the alcohol as I really do not want alcohol in my home.

[@AuxhartGardening]

Alcohol is very good at separating the sweetness chemical from the rest of the plant material, which is why alcohol is often used for plant extractions. The reason we boil out the alcohol is because after it's made the chemical change of extraction, we don't want the alcohol in the final product. You could use food-grade glycerin as a substitute, but it probably won't be quite as effective in this particular application.

[@tamaramattson4768]

Does it taste sweet?

[@AuxhartGardening]

Yes! Very similar to other stevia products.

[@gdietz2]

My wife and I are going to grow a huge amount of Stevia, soak it in Vodka, then distill the Vodka out. Voila!!! Sweet Vodka.

[@gstv2126]

Hi Rachel, im from Indonesia, nice information about stevia liquid. How long does stevia liquid last?

[@AuxhartGardening]

Good question! It can stay good for several years.

[@LynnMTHA]

I've never actually used stevia, though thought to grow it. Could you tell me how much you use, ratio to a tsp of sugar, more or less? You can bake with it as well, yes?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I haven't tried baking with it, I mostly use it to sweeten my coffee in the mornings, and for that I use about a teaspoon or so.

[@SD-dt4xf]

That seems like a lot since they say stevia is up to 300 x as sweet as sugar. I've only bought the powdered stevia and it comes with 1/32 tsp spoon. That is plenty for my coffee. If you put too much there is an after taste.​@AuxhartGardening

[@Seek_Him]

I made this & it doesn't taste as sweet as the store, is it because I didn't boil it down? Or do I need to put more stevia leaves in it?

[@Derwentmole]

Hi Rachel, nice video. How long would you expect the extract to last in the fridge? Thanks

[@AuxhartGardening]

This is effectively a tincture, and the common wisdom is that tinctures are good for about 5 years. Although potency will decrease over time, I don't think this would 'go bad' as in ever grow mold or anything like that.

[@Derwentmole]

@@AuxhartGardening nice one, thanks for reply. I’m just on propagating stevia in my grow room so looking for different ideas for uses. I grew some a few years ago before we had kids so looking forward to seeing what they think of it’s sweetness too! Cheers.👍🇬🇧

[@debramede3735]

Doesn't the alcohol have sugar

[@AuxhartGardening]

Alcohol like vodka does not contain sugar, it is simply ethanol and water. You might be thinking of wine, which does have sugar.

[@yovtuubvfdcfrffg]

Wow did you just ask this. 🙄

[@DavideGobbicchi]

Thank you for the video, just a little question to solve a doubt that I have: I followed your procedure, tho the final liquid that I got was green rather than brown; why is that?

[@AuxhartGardening]

I actually don't know, sorry!

[@emmiehao]

i also make may own stevia extract using another procedure. although the i always use the same procedure, the final liquid varies. sometimes green, sometimes black. but the taste is still the same :)