Dried stevia leaves that have been treated to substantially remove volatile components, thereby forming treated stevia leaves, A process for substantially removing or volatilizing volatile components from a surface of dried ste via leaves without the assistance of a carbon containing solvent, wherein the process increases the permeability of solutes into the treated stevia leaves. A sweetening composition comprising treated stevia leaves that exhibit an increase in water permeability after being treated when compared to untreated comparable dried stevia leaves. A sweetening composition comprising treated stevia leaves that exhibits a darker color immediately after treatment. A sweetening composition comprising stevia extract that contains steviol glycosides and other non-volatile components found in stevia leaves, wherein the steviol glycosides and other non-volatile components combined are less than about 80 wt% of the stevia extract.A process for extracting one or more flavors from treated stevia leaves, comprising the step of subjecting the treated stevia leaves to one or more extractive steps. A sweetener comprising treated stevia leaves, wherein the treated stevia leaves are formed by substantially reducing volatile components from the stevia leaves.La présente invention concerne des feuilles de Stevia séchées, lesdites feuilles ayant été traitées en vue d'éliminer sensiblement des constituants volatils et formant ainsi des feuilles de Stevia traitées. L'invention concerne également un procédé permettant d'éliminer ou de volatiliser sensiblement des constituants volatils présents dans une surface de feuilles de Stevia séchées sans l'aide d'un solvant contenant du carbone, ledit procédé augmentant la perméabilité de solutés dans les feuilles de Stevia traitées. L'invention concerne aussi une composition édulcorante comprenant des feuilles de Stevia traitées, qui présentent une augmentation de la perméabilité à l'eau une fois traitées par rapport à des feuilles d
