Shelf Life
The shelf life of yerba Mate Cup depends on storage. Properly stored, it lasts 1-2 years. Check for spoilage signs like smell, color, taste changes. Discard spoilt chimarrão. Refrigerated yerba mate lasts months stored airtight. Freezing is possible but may cause freezer burn without airtight storage.
Expiration dates indicate guaranteed peak freshness and quality. Consuming expired foods risks flavor, texture and nutrition loss.
Storage
Proper storage preserves flavor and freshness. Store in a cool, dry, airtight container away from light and moisture. Avoid refrigerating or freezing. This maintains full flavor longer.
Effects
Mate increases eye pressure in 30 minutes, lasting 90+ minutes. Discuss glaucoma and use with your healthcare provider. At 85mg caffeine per cup, mate may increase energy less than coffee, more than tea. Caffeine wears off depending on consumption.
Argentina and Paraguay recently increased required expiration dates from 2 to 3 years after packaging. However, expiration dates are government requirements, not quality indicators. Proper storage determines drinkability after expiration.
Quality
Look at color and sheen to determine quality. It should feel buoyant and pliant, not overly dry and crumbly. Smell for toast, vegetables, earth and mild sweetness. This indicates proper bouquet.
Yerba is Spanish for herb, mate for the gourd used brewing. British pronounce mate as MAH-teh. Mate is popular in central and southern South America. Chimarrão provides a caffeinated feeling.
Does dry mate go bad?
Shelf Life
Chimarrão can go bad over time. Exposure to heat, light, moisture and air can cause the leaves to deteriorate and spoil. The shelf life depends on storage. Stored properly in a cool, dry place, away from direct light and moisture, it can last 1 to 2 years.
Spoilage
Signs of deterioration after expiration date include changes in look, feel and smell. Proper storage preserves flavor and aroma; improper storage causes quicker deterioration. Quality of leaves and storage environment affect shelf life.
Storage
Avoid storing near coffee and spices. Look for changes signalling lower quality – leaves should be olive green with a thin sheen. They should feel buoyant and pliant, not overly dry and crumbly. The scent should be toasty, green, and mildly sweet.
Effects
Thos sensitive to caffeine should moderate intake. The eye pressure-raising effects occur within 30 minutes, lasting at least 90 minutes. Discuss use with doctor if you have glaucoma.
Do you have to refrigerate yerba mate after opening?
Storage
Open packages last one to two years stored properly in a cool, dry, dark place at room temperature. Check package expiration dates. The quality of leaves, storage conditions, and how often opened affect longevity.
Leave in original packaging. Seal the opening tightly. Store in a cool, dry, dark, room temperature place like a bookshelf or cupboard. Don’t refrigerate or freeze.
Spoilage
Watch for mold, mildew, discoloration, musty or mouldy smell, or taste changes signaling spoilage. Discard spoiled. Reusable overnight if stored in stainless steel preventing mold from moisture.
Quality
Check side or top of South American packages for expiration stamps. Good smells mildly sweet, looks matte olive green, feels pliant and somewhat moist with light tan stems.
Preparation
When preparing use hot but not boiling water and steep for at least 5 minutes but not more than 15 minutes. This avoids bitterness or weak flavor. You can reuse the same leaves 2-3 times before replacing. Traditionally sipped through a metal straw known as a bombilla to filter out pieces of leaf.