Hi Lorraine,
Yes to clean the jar, once a week.
I have never had cloudy or bitter iced tea. Cold infusion in the fridge is perfect. That works with most sorts of teas.
You knew that stevia is not considered as "poisonous" only because the studies about its effects have not been done yet ? Several countries don't yet allow the use of that new fake sweetener for that reason.
A pseudo-natural maybe-poisonous sweetener + a detergent like baking soda ? No thanks.
Kuri
Hi Kuri,
Well I was considering it not "poisonous" because other countries have been using it for years in great quantities with no problems. But of course that could mean nothing.
Stevia is a plant - maybe we have different definitions for "fake." Sorry about that. However, it is anything but "new."
My, we're having some miscommunication! I didn't recommend the baking soda, I asked if anyone tried this. I only found out about it about three weeks ago, even though it seems this practice has been ongoing. I did try it, and it does make the tea brew darker, and it could have been my imagination but there was no bitterness. It just seemed interesting to me. I didn't mean to offend anyone's sensibilities. Regarding stevia, I've been using it a lot for some time, and I've only see improved health. But who knows? Maybe it's building up in me and I'll be poisoned soon.
Lorraine
Lorraine rose quietly and spake the following:
Having done a little research on the issue...
In fact, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni (which is a native plant of Paraguay) has been used in many countries for many years as a sweetener. It is used in South America, as well as Japan, China, Germany, Malaysia, Israel and South Korea. For hundreds of years, it was available only to those who had access to its remote growing locations. But around the turn of the last century, it became a cultivated crop.
The FDA labeled stevia as an "unsafe food additive" in the 1980s, but has recently approved the importation of stevia into the United States. After years of treating it as a controlled substance, they're letting it be marketed as a "dietary supplement."
However, it cannot be marketed as a sweetener or even be described as "sweet" on the package. To do so, according to the FDA, would render the product "adulterated" and thus subject to seizure. This is in spite of the fact that many studies indicate it's safe. Apparently, the FDA has been playing loose with the research data - attributing findings to one form of processed Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni that actually apply to a different form.
Lipton tea has apparently/supposedly submitted a petition to the FDA to get stevia listed as a sweetener.
The real reason we don't see more stevia in the U.S. is that it is a low calorie, all natural sweetener - and the unfortunate reality is that big businesses (artificial sweetener manufacturers) have lots of money to spend lobbying in Washington, DC.
They'd rather give us cancer, migraines, and aching teeth (personal experience) than to give us a low calorie natural sweetner.
I haven't tried stevia yet, but after reading a bit about it, I"m going to have to give it a go.
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