Just got your first yerba mate gourd but don’t know how to cure it?

Great!

Because I’m going to show you how to cure a mate gourd step-by-step in 20 minutes.

Curing is a traditional thing to do to prep your mate gourd. However, this step is completely optional, despite traditionalists claiming it’s absolutely mandatory.

There are two ways to do this:

• One takes about 20 minutes
• The other takes 24 hours (sometimes 2-3 days)

If this is your first time drinking yerba mate, I’m sure you’d rather go with the 20-minute method compared to the 24-hour one.

Although most people recommend the longer (traditional) method, it barely makes a difference in my experience. And waiting 72 times longer (yes, I did the math) just to get a small benefit, isn’t worth it to me.

Now before I show you how to cure your mate gourd, you need to know which gourds actually need curing.

Which Yerba Mate Gourds Need To Be Cured?

Yerba mate gourds come in many different materials, but only some of them need to be cured.

Gourds made of:

• Ceramic
• Glass
• Silicone
• And stainless steel

… all do NOT need to be cured.

Gourds made from these materials only require a quick rinse and wipe down. Then, they’re instantly ready to be used.

However, gourds made out of:

• Wood
• And calabash

… must be cured.

This guide will only cover calabash gourds.

If you have a wooden gourd, you can learn how to cure it by clicking here now.

Why Do You Cure Calabash Gourds?

If you read other guides on how to cure a mate gourd, you’ll find some say that curing helps prevent the gourd from mold, cracks, and splits.

Sorry to say, but this is all false.

There’s only one REAL benefit to curing a calabash gourd.

Other than for traditional reasons, that benefit is simply to clear out the inside.

You see, new calabash gourds always have loose tissue and material inside of them. And if you don’t get rid of it, they can impart a bitter taste to your mate.

To remove them, we will be using one of the two curing methods below.

How To Cure A Mate Gourd (Traditional)

If you remember what I said in the beginning, there are two ways to cure a mate gourd.

One that takes a few days, and one that takes 20 minutes.

I’m going to show you the long way first, which I don’t recommend other than for cultural reasons.

Ready?

QUICK NOTE: Most calabash gourds have a little stem in the middle. Do not remove or tamper with it. Otherwise, your gourd will leak and become useless.

Step 1
Rinse your gourd under warm water.

Step 2
Take a small spoon and gently scrape the inner walls (avoiding the stem) of your gourd. You want to remove as much of the loose plant material as you can.

Step 3
Once finished, fill half your gourd with dry unused yerba.

Step 4
Then fill the gourd with hot (not boiling) water. Around 170ºF is fine. Wait for the leaves and gourd to soak, then pour in more water.

Step 5
Now you wait. Let the gourd sit in the mixture for at least 12 hours. Some recommend 24 hours to 3-5 days.

Step 6
After the time has passed, you can now dump everything out and scrape off whatever loose plant material is left. Make sure you clean out all the leaves.

Step 7
Repeat steps 3-6.

Step 8
Once cleaned, pat the inside of your gourd with a paper towel or cloth to soak up as much water as you can. Then place your gourd in a sunny, cool, dry spot to dry. It’s best to have it tilted on its side to let air flow through.

Once completely dry, it’s finally ready to be used.

If this all sounded like a long boring process, that’s because it is. What’s worse, you also have to sacrifice two servings of yerba mate.

But don’t worry…

This second (my recommended) method for curing a yerba mate gourd only takes 20 minutes.

How To Cure A Yerba Mate Gourd (In 20 Minutes)

Inside of an uncured calabash gourd

Step 1
Fill your gourd to the top with hot water. Again, not boiling.

Step 2
Wait 15-20 minutes for the hot water to loosen the soft tissue.

Step 3
When time’s up, take a spoon and start scraping the inner walls. The material should easily come off. Make sure you get as much as you can and cover all sides of the gourd, even the bottom.

Step 4
Rinse your gourd under warm water to get rid of all the free-floating tissue.

Step 5
Once cleaned, pat the inside with a paper towel or cloth to soak up as much water as you can. Place your gourd (on its side) in a bright, cool and dry spot to dry.

And that’s it!

Now I know what you’re thinking, How come I have to use yerba in the first method and not the second?

Here’s why…

How The Two Curing Methods Differ

Remember what I said about why we cure yerba mate gourds?

It’s so that we can remove the tissue inside to prevent it from making the mate taste bitter.

This is why the first method uses yerba mate for the curing process. It’s believed that the gourd soaks up the flavors from the brew, and in return, enhances the overall taste.

Now although this is true, it doesn’t happen just after one curing. In fact, you won’t notice a difference until that gourd is fully cured. And the only way to get a fully cured gourd is by using it hundreds of times. Or until the inside of the gourd becomes completely smooth and looks almost completely black.

It’s only then will you start tasting a big difference.

With that said, this is why I go for the shorter method.

When you get a new gourd, all you want to do is use it already. So why wait an additional day or two to cure it when the benefit is barely noticeable?

Final Words

Curing a yerba mate gourd is mostly ritual practice and provides little benefit other than removing the loose plant material.

But if you want to do it for traditional reasons or just to be safe, by all means, go for it.

Just don’t believe the false claims that curing a gourd can prevent mold, breakage, or leaks because it doesn’t.

In this context, curing is synonymous with cleaning.

P.S. If you found this article helpful, you might also want to check out our store because we offer yerba mate, mate gourds, and bombillas.

P.P.S. We also provide calabash gourds that are pre-cured so you don’t have to worry about doing it yourself. Click here now to check them out!