Vegetable Glycerine

Vegetable glycerine is extracted from fats or oils. The use of pressure, heat, and water results in the absorption of glycerol fats in the water through the process of hydrolysis. The result is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid which is sweet in nature. Glycerine is soluble in both water and alcohol, so it is often used in cosmetics.

The reason it is the best choice for stevia is that glycerine helps in the solvency of plant extracts. The sweet flavor also helps to quiet the slightly bitter taste of stevia. The best part is that it keeps alcohol out of the extract which is better for us as humans to consume. So if you use the liquid stevia, look to see what it has been extracted in.

Stevia Clarification

One my readers sent a response regarding stevia. I want to make sure that I was clear about stevia. You should read the label as always. You want to get pure stevia, not the blended stevia. Blended stevia's are stevia that is mixed or blended with sugar alcohols (erythritol). I am not a fan of this type of stevia.

There are basically 4 forms of stevia. First is the dried ground leaf form. This is a green powder. The second form is the dried whole leaf. Third is the liguid form of stevia. Be sure you read the labels on the liquid forms of stevia. Choose one that is in a vegetable glycerine solution. This is not the sugar alcohol (erythritol). The fourth form is stevia plus which is a powder form. In this form the stevia is combined with inulin, a carbohydrate.

I'll talk more tomorrow about inulin.