How long does yerba mate last?

When being the kind of person which enjoys sharing mate, the question arises: how to make the yerba mate last longer? Although the inmediate solution is to just turn over the mountain, the truth is that after no more than four turns, the infusion is completely tasteless. When this occurs, the mate is said to be “washed”. 

Although it is at some point inevitable, here you have some useful tips to follow in order to avoid this from happening too fast: 

1- How to prime

For the first mates, try to pour the water directly on the mate straw. This will not only warm it up, but also prevent the dry part of the yerba from getting wet. 

2- The type of mate

The type of mate is a determinant factor when priming. For instance, if it is wide-mouthed, you can put more water on the mound, which will not be the case of a smaller one. 

3- The type of yerba mate

There are different types and brands of yerba mate (linkear a nota de los mejores termos), which obviously means that they also differ in the velocity in which they loss their taste. In case you use the latter, it is essential that you pay attention to the taste, because they do not usually have much foam.

4- The foam

The foam is the key indicator to understand if your mate is completely washed. If the amount of foam produced is little, you need to start baiting more on the mountain or turn the mate upside down.

How to turn the mate?

This takes a bit of practice, but you’ll quickly get the hang of it. You´ll need no more than just the mate straw. Firstly, use the straw to move part of the dry yerba and move it to the opposite side of the mate. A new hole should be formed.  

This process can be repeated several times. 

How necessary is it to cure mate?

Although we would love to state the contrary, the curing process is highly neccessary. A poorly cured mate can cause some setbacks for health and, above all, it causes the taste of the infusion to be not good. We assure you that the first day wait is totally worth it. 

Some benefits of drinking mate

We are going to leave you six benefits of drinking mate, so that in addition to taking advantage of a traditional ritual, you can develop a good habit for your health.

1- It is antioxidant

Yerba mate contains a high content of polyphenols which improve the body’s defenses and prevent cell aging.

2- Prevents diseases

By preventing the accumulation of cholesterol and triglycerides in the arteries, the infusion of mate reduces the risk of suffering from various diseases such as cardiovascular and arteriosclerosis.

3- Purify your body

It has a diuretic and moderately laxative effect, which avoids fluid retention in the body.

4- Provides vitamins

Yerba mate has B group vitamins and minerals such as potassium and magnesium, essential to face the day to day.

5- It is a natural energizer

As we mentioned at the beginning, it has caffeine, so this means two things: that it increases stimulation and concentration, just like coffee.

How do I prepare it?

The big question for many amateur mate drinkers, or even for those who are already familiar with it, but want to get better at it. 

If you’re reading this, two things may happen to you: you don’t like mate but you want to like it or you want to know how to do it so you don’t depend on anyone (hopefully this is it).

We are going to leave you a quick guide of steps to follow if you already have your mate but want to prepare it alone as an expert.

1- Pour a little less than half of the yerba that your mate has.

2- Cover the mouth of the mate with the palm of your hand and shake it with an ascending and descending movement. Do this at least three or four times.

3- Without uncovering the mate, lean it to one side so that the mountain is already made to be able to move on to the next step.

4- Right in the hole where the mate straw goes, it is important to first add cold water and wait a few minutes. Then, you will add the hot water and wait again.

5- Take the straw while covering the tip (where the water comes out). Then you will put it in the same place where you poured the hot and cold water into it.

6- With a thermo full of hot water, you can now enjoy your mate. The first one is probably the most bitter, but then the taste only gets better.