Storing Trim Healthy Mama Pure Stevia Extract

    The new Trim Healthy Mama (THM) Pure Stevia is an amazing natural sweetener.  ☺

    THM Pure Stevia is not an artificial or chemical sweetener; it is made from the non-bitter, naturally occurring, sweet component of the herb stevia - a glycoside called Rebaudioside A. This naturally sweet component is isolated from the stevia leaf using a gentle water extraction process, with no bleaching involved.  The THM Pure Stevia Extract is also so minimally processed, it has not even been granulated, which means it remains as a fine white powder – like a dust, which is unusual for stevia products, because most stevia is overprocessed.

    In the last few months of using THM Pure Stevia and now the THM Sweet Blend, I've found that I've needed to adjust how much stevia I use in foods.  THM's Pure Stevia and Sweet Blend are much more sweet than other stevia I've used over the last several years, so I find that I'm using a lot less than I used to.

    Because THM Pure Stevia is such a fine white powder, it's a bit more challenging to store for repeated use.  The bag in which it comes may not be convenient to zip and unzip repeatedly for everyone; some people would prefer a "shaker" type of storage container for their pure stevia extract.

    I've used three different methods of storing my THM Pure Stevia.  Now, in case you think I'm just a bit schizophrenic about storage containers, I've been using THM Pure Stevia for the last six months, as a beta tester.  ☺ Thank you, Pearl and Serene!

    This has given me some time to experiment with a few different containers for storing my THM Pure Stevia.  I've used the following so far:

RSVP Glass Ball Spice Bottle

• Stainless steel lid
• Plastic shaker insert
• Jar rests upright or tips forward

 

Progressive International 1.5 Cup Mini Keeper

• Built in shaker, integrated leveler for precise measuring; measures 2.5 x 4.25 x 3.75 inches high
• Stores 1 pound box of baking soda
  
• use for herbs and spices
• Lid opens with one hand; silicone seal provides airtight protection; 1.5 cup capacity
• Includes 9 pre-printed spice labels
• BPA free tested; dishwasher safe

 

RSVP Clear 3 oz. Square Spice Jar

• Screw-on chromed steel lid
• Plastic shaker insert, Standard size spice jars
• Dimensions: 4" x 1-3/4" dia.

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    Or, use an empty spice jar of your own, like this Spice Islands spice jar.

    Now that you can clearly see the three containers I've used to store THM Pure Stevia, let me share with you how they've worked:

 

RSVP Glass Ball Spice Bottle

    I started out quite a few months ago with the RSVP Glass Ball Spice Bottle, which I purchased while visiting Bob's Red Mill's factory store for this purpose.  I like using glass for food storage, but I also wanted a "shaker" at the top of the jar.  This particular jar I purchased has a rubber/plastic shaker insert in the glass jar opening.  While I do like it, the THM Pure Stevia does tend to clog up the holes of the shaker insert.  It's also a bit messy to get the shaker insert off and on the bottle, although it's easy to clean up any excess pure stevia that falls onto the kitchen counter.

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Progressive Int'l 1.5 Cup Mini Keeper

Click photo to see enlarged version

    When the new THM Pure Stevia became available for sale in April 2014, I decided to investigate other containers for its storage and use.  I was hoping to be able to scoop out "doonks" of stevia as well as shake it from the same container.

    I found this Progressive International 1.5 Cup Mini Keeper locally.  What appealed to me is that it has one side that opens up for measuring with teaspoons or a "doonk"/spoon, like that found in the THM Pure Stevia bag, but it also has a shaker side that's easily accessible.

    I actually took a piece of duct tape and covered up all but one row of shaker holes.  See that fancy work there?  ☺ 

    (Click on the photo to see an enlarged version of what I did with the duct tape.)

    I figured out right away that even though this isn't a large container, it easily stores one or two small 1-oz. packages of the THM Pure Stevia.  However, the "doonk" (or tiny 1/32 spoon) doesn't store well inside, as it gets easily buried.  I would waste too much stevia extract if I had to dig around for the spoon all the time.  I also found that it was a bit harder to control how much THM Pure Stevia I was shaking into my foods and recipes.

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RSVP Clear Square Spice Jar

Spice Islands empty, repurposed spice container (glass jar)

    My third - and final - option has been a glass spice jar that looks similar to this RSVP Clear Square Spice Jar.  My version is actually a clean, empty Spice Islands spice bottle that I'd saved.  If you click on the Spice Islands photo, below, you'll see a larger version of this photo.  I took a small piece of duct tape and covered up all but three of the holes on the underside of the shaker insert.

    The repurposed Spice Island spice jar has actually worked the best out of the three containers I've tried so far.  I'll use the other two shaker containers for other things, but this jar doesn't seem to get clogged up to the point that it no longer shakes Pure Stevia. 

    After putting 2-3 shakes of pure stevia into a protein shake or food that I'm making, I gently tap the glass bottle on the counter.  This resettles the pure stevia and enables all of the stevia to settle down in the jar, away from the plastic shaker insert.  For some reason, this has been my best option so far. 

    I love sharing more frugal ways to do things around the house, so if you're looking for a shaker container in which to store your new THM Pure Stevia, I recommend buying the least expensive spice from the Spice Islands spice section in your grocery store, or another brand that has a glass bottle with a shaker insert.

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    Have any of you been able to try out the new THM Pure Stevia or THM Sweet Blend yet?  Just remember to use less than you would normally use, and you should taste a very pleasant sweetness, especially if you're already used to the taste of stevia. 

    If you are already using the THM Pure Stevia, are you keeping it in the zip-style bag, or are you storing it in another container?  Your comments will help future readers, so thank you for being a part of Joy In Our Journey's community!

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