How to cure a mate calabaza

To enjoy all the flavours of a perfect mate, you will need to prepare your calabaza properly. In other terms, you need to cure your calabaza.

Step 1. (Optional) Remove any debris

Depending on the type of calabaza that you have, you might notice some impurities inside the gourd. In that case, simply wash out the calabaza with some warm water and gently remove the debris with a spoon.

Step 2. Fill the calabaza with yerba mate and water

Fill half or two-thirds of your calabaza with yerba mate and cover it with warm water. Let it rest between ten and twelve hours. Ideally, you might want to do this just before going to bed and leave it for the whole night.

Step 3. Remove the yerba

After that, you will need to remove the yerba mate from the calabaza with a spoon. At this stage, we recommend scraping well the inner walls of the gourd. 

Step 4. Enjoy your mate!

That’s it! Your calabaza is now ready to use. You can start preparing a proper mate for you and your friends. Over time, the calabaza will absorb the flavours of the mate and will intensify your brew.