I just purchased Stevia Liquid and Monk Drops online, so after Wednesday of next week I should know what this stuff tastes like when it doesn't have erythritol or other flavors mixed in with it.
Does monkfruit extract need to be refrigerated after opening? While it is not required that Lakanto Liquid Monkfruit Sweetener be refrigerated after opening, Lakanto does recommend refrigeration as it helps to prolong the shelf life. Does Stevia Extract go bad? Stevia In The Raw has a shelf life of approximately four years when stored under cool and dry conditions. Exposure to high humidity and/or temperatures may result in caking, but the product is still safe to consume”. What is the shelf life of Stevia? Approximately four years from the date of manufacture.
This morning I tried drinking tea sweetened with monkfruit drops, and frankly, I don't know why manufacturers feel the need to add maltodextrin of erythritol to this product or stevia extract. The aftertaste of these processed or fermented substances and/or aspartame is more unpleasant to me than the aftertaste of the pure, organic extract all by itself. What is aspartame? Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose, and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with the trade names NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel. What is an ester? An ester is a chemical compound derived from an acid in which at least one –OH hydroxyl group is replaced by an –O– alkyl group, as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. What is the meaning of methyl? methyl: of or denoting the alkyl radical —CH3, derived from methane and present in many organic compounds
Better Stevia Original Zero-Calorie Liquid Sweetener Ingredients: De-ionized water Certified organic stevia leaf extract 11% organic cane alcohol For me personally, I think I ought to conceptualize these products as sugar alternatives rather than sugar substitutes, because they have their own distinctive flavors. When I opened the stevia extract yesterday, I tasted a drop on my finger and it reminded me of the cough medicine my mother gave me when I was a kid, which was not an unpleasant flavor at all. (But, I can't really describe the taste of straight monkfruit—there's not really anything to which I can compare it.) The directions were not very helpful though, in that they said to "sweeten to taste using 1 to 4 drops." I tried four drops in my tea just now, and based on the results as compared to the monkfruit this morning, I'm thinking perhaps 3 drops is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of cane sugar. (Four drops was a little too sweet for me.)
Apparently, the only place I can get Lieber's Unsalted Tops Whole Wheat Snackers is from Mercato.com. However, they have a $35 minimum order, and I don't need $35 worth of groceries right now, so I'll have to try them at some other time. The Organic Stone Ground Wheat Crackers had 100mg of sodium per cracker, so I passed on that option and bought Carr's Whole Wheat Crackers, with about half as much salt (55mg per cracker), instead. I was surprised by how much I liked this product, which is likely to become one of my go-to snacks. It was thicker and heartier than I was expecting, sort of like a cross between a graham cracker and a cookie. (At $4.49 I guess I'll be paying approximately 20ȼ per cracker.)
The next time you try sweetening your tea with the monkfruit extract, use three drops instead of four and see if this is sufficient. It it is, it will suggest that the ratio of monkfruit extract to table sugar and the ratio of stevia extract to table sugar is the same. (The conversion table says six drops per teaspoon, but if three drops is all I need for my tea, I'm thinking two drops per teaspoon might make more sense to me.)
Dairy Milk vs Almond Milk The main health benefit of cow's milk is that it contains complete protein, since it's an animal product, and it contains a lot of important nutrients like B-vitamins, too. And while almond milk contains more calcium, dairy milk is still a great source of it. Although almond milk is not nearly as nutritious as cow's milk, enriched products come close. They frequently contain added vitamin D, calcium, and protein, making them more similar to regular milk in nutritional content. However, almond milk is naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin E. Is there any downside to almond milk? Almonds and almond milk products are sources of tyrosine which may aggravate a migraine headache. Also, it is not healthy and safe for patients with thyroid conditions. Apart from this, Almond milk brands that are produced commercially might have soy as fillers that can also affect thyroid hormone levels. Also, almond milk is not safe for those with tree nut allergies. What is the upside? high in antioxidants heart healthy high in vitamins and minerals low in fat and calories contains no animal byproducts