Two Curing Methods
To cure a gourd, remove the loose material inside. This prevents a bitter taste. There are two curing methods: one taking a few days, another twenty minutes.
The natural gourd is the fruit of the calabash plant, dried and hollowed. Curing should prevent splitting, improving the flavor.
Simply using the gourd right away, gently scraping it nightly, extends its life best. Over weeks it cures on its own, forming an even patina once debris erodes.
Ingredients
Fill a yerba mate gourd 2⁄3 with loose yerba mate. Tap the loose yerba mate to one side to create a pit. Moisten the pit with cool water. Insert a bombilla into the pit. The gourd started out as an actual gourd, which was emptied and cured, and the bombilla is a wide metal straw, with a filter at the lower end. This keeps out the large chunks of leaves, and allows you to sip the drink without much fuss.
- The calabash gourd is the traditional gourd made from the shell of calabash fruit.
- The wooden gourd is easy to use and adds a nice flavor.
- The ceramic gourd is easy to clean and durable.
One of the benefits of drinking yerba mate the traditional way is that you can be sure you are extracting all the goodness your yerba has to offer.
The yerba mate gourd is made from the fruit of a gourd vine and is available in different sizes and shapes. Sometimes referred to as a mate cup, this is merely a container to hold the mate tea.
Natural Gourd
The Natural Yerba Mate Gourd is formed by drying out a gourd, which is the fruit of the Calabash plant or tree, and hollowing it.
Curing your mate if done properly should prevent the gourd from splitting. The gourd itself adds to the flavour of your brew, and the curing process improves the flavour and lengthens the flavourful life of the gourd.
Care
Once you finish drinking, throw out the used yerba, rinse the gourd and dry it with a paper towel.
First Use
Before first using your calabash Yerba Mate gourd, fill up three-quarters of the gourd with loose-leaf yerba and hot water. Let it sit for a day, absorbing the water. Remove the insides of the gourd with a spoon, carefully peeling off its internal walls. Wash the gourd out and leave it to fully dry before use.