Finding mold in your mate gourd is the worst thing that can ever happen to a yerba mate drinker (aside from dropping and breaking your gourd of course). And I’m sure we can all agree that mold is off-putting, especially when it’s inside something you drink from.
So what can you do about it?
Some view mold in mate gourds as the absolute end and go on to toss it in the garbage.
But don’t!
You can still save your gourd from this mold invasion.
There are several methods online teaching you how to get rid of mold, but I found the below to work the best.
Plus, it’s extremely simple and only requires water and one other ingredient.
But before I show you how to do this, let’s make sure you actually have mold in your mate.
Is There Actually Mold In Your Mate Gourd?
Before trying to get rid of mold, you have to make sure that’s actually what you’re dealing with.
Oftentimes, people confuse the natural curing process of a mate gourd to be mold.
Just take a look at the gourd below…
Looks moldy doesn’t it?
Well it’s not mold at all.
You see, as you continue to use your gourd daily, it will start to naturally change color because the yerba mate stains the inner walls, giving it that dark brown/green color. Some will even turn black.
So how do you spot the difference?
An easy way to determine whether you have mold in your mate gourd is if you see dark green/white spots with – and this is the important distinction – a fuzzy/hairy look to it. Another way to check is to smell it. Mold gives off a bad odor so if your gourd smells funny, you want to follow the instructions in this article.
Now that that’s out the way, here’s how to get rid of mold in your mate gourd.
How To Get Rid Of Mold In Mate Gourd
If you’re still not sure whether the spots are mold or not, you can also follow these steps to find out. If the green spots come off, it was mold. And if it doesn’t, then it’s the color of your mate.
Let’s begin the process…
Step 1:
Grab your gourd and some lemon juice. And start boiling water.
Many guides say to use some sort of alcohol, but it’s unnecessary.
Lemon juice will work just as good because it’s highly acidic. And it won’t give a weird taste like alcohol would.
REMINDER: NEVER wash your gourd with any type of detergent or soap as it impart a bad taste.
Step 2:
Let the boiling water cool down a bit until around 180°F (82°C). Then pour the water in your gourd along with a little lemon juice.
Again, many guides recommend to use boiling hot water. However, we don’t want to risk cracking our gourd. Having mold is already bad enough.
If it doesn’t work with less than boiling hot water, you can always do it again with boiling water.
Step 3:
Now leave the mixture of hot water and lemon juice there for about 20-30 minutes. Let it work its magic.
Step 4:
After time’s up, get a spoon and start scraping the inner walls.
Don’t be too gentle here, but don’t be too rough either. You want to make sure every last bit of mold is scraped off.
Step 5:
Lastly, give it a good rinse. And try to soak up as much water as you can inside with a paper towel.
That’s all there is to it.
If you feel like there’s still mold, just repeat the process. But it will be gone if you did everything correctly.
But you’re not done here yet.
Getting rid of mold in your mate gourd isn’t enough. You want to keep it out for good!
How To Prevent Getting Mold In Your Mate Gourd
To prevent mold from growing in your gourd in the first place, you need to store them correctly.
Remember, mold grows best in warm, dark, humid areas. This is where you DON’T want to keep your gourds. After cleaning your gourd of mold and after every use, store your gourd in a sunny, cool, dry area and you’ll never have to deal with mold again.
Now I know everyone can’t store their gourd in this environment because some live where it just isn’t possible.
But that’s no problem.
There are several gourds that don’t get mold such as stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and silicone.
Final Words
Finding mold in your mate gourd is common…
But only if you don’t take care of them.
If you did everything above correctly, you won’t be seeing mold in awhile.
I’ve had some gourds for years and they never grew mold.
Just make sure you don’t leave mate in your gourd overnight, you clean them immediately after every use, and you store them in a sunny, cool, dry spot and you won’t have a problem again.
P.S. If you found this article helpful, you might also want to check out our store for exclusive gourds (some that never grow mold) and bombillas.
The level of education provided on this website is superior, brilliant and eradicates many of the fears of “doing something wrong” in the mate preparation process, particularly in dealing with mold.
Hey Rand,
Appreciate your comment! Glad you’re finding everything useful.
Cheers,
Darren
100% agree!! Really appreciate this article. And as I have been a drinker for quite some time I really appreciate the – empty after use – I would quite often leave over night and empty in morning as it was easier when dry…. no longer. I also now have a mold issue from travelling with my gourd and it being stuck for a period of time in my bag.. Black as! Thanks for your help!
Hey Fraser,
Thanks for the comment and kind words.
Yes, it’s always better to clean your gourd right after just to avoid any potential headaches. I’ve left a gourd overnight to clean the next day and would sometimes forget about it for an extra day. Never a good feeling. Anyways, I hope you’re able to save your gourd!
Cheers,
Darren
Your articles are so helpful! I think I learned my whole proper procedure through you haha.
I received an Argentinian calabash as a present and I was surprised about the inside. Looks like somebody had literally emptied a pumpkin or so and let it dry. Anyway, I only have it for 3 days and it started to get dark green spots in the inside. I still can’t tell if it is just the changing colour or actually Mold.. but I will apply your cleaning procedure.
Thank you for the articles!
Hey Vanessa,
Thanks for the kind words! As far as the gourd, did you use it and then it developed green spots? Or did it appear on its own? If on its own, it could be more likely mold. But if after use, as long as it’s not fuzzy, then it’s natural.
Hope that helps clear things.
Cheers,
Darren
I have tried curing the calabaza gourd I bought in Argentina. it’s now all dark green and has mold. Also symmetrical cracks from to to bottom, its leather wrapped, with silver trim, and the leather started changing color too as I was doing the curing process. Does that mean it’s leaking?
I will do the process of getting rid of the mold with lemon juice and hot water.
But I’m concerned about the other things I mentioned.
and now almost afraid to use it once the mold is gone.
HELP
Hey Darren!
Been drinking mate for just less than a year now, but I am forever in love. During that time I have heard some people say a little mold is nothing to worry about — adds and improves the flavor and experience.
I would add that yes, there is a limit. To a point a lot of mold is a lot of mold and would probably lead to sickness. But what are your thoughts? Have you also heard this?
Just found your site today and i’m loving it! Been learning a lot and am so glad I came across it. Thank you for the articles and wisdom, it feeds my hunger to know more about such an incredible tradition.
Hey Walker,
Thanks for the support!
Regarding the mold, however, I have never heard that before. But personally, I would never recommend such a thing. No point in risking it just for the possibility of a better taste. If I see mold, the first thing I’m going to do is clean it out haha.
Interesting to hear that though.
Cheers,
Darren