How long to steep yerba mate?
As you may have read in other articles it is crucial for you to comply with the neccessary process to prepare the yerba. When this occurs, it is said that the yerba is swollen.
How is this achieved? The important thing is to leave the yerba to soak just the right time and necessary to achieve the desired effect and with this the optimal taste for your mate, depending on the infusion you want to achieve.
The first thing is that it is vital that you first soak the yerba mate in cold water for around five minutes. Take into account that it can never be less than three nor more than 10.
Once this time has passed, it is time for you to pour the hot water. In this case, it is convenient to let the yerba rest for between 10 and 15 minutes before it is considered to be prepared for drinking. This is due to the fact that the heat has a more impressive effect on the yerba, so if it is left longer, a better hydration level will be achieved when starting to feed.
Why carry out this process?
These simple steps will be the difference between drinking a plain mate or achievieng the best taste. If you put only cold water on it, it will not swell enough and you will see that the mountain is low. This will lead you to think that there is little yerba in your mate, thus, to a greater and unnecessary expense.
On the other hand, if you place only hot water, you will not be doing more than burning the feed. Beyond having a much less bitter taste, the first mates will burn you because the water will be too hot.
Due to the lack of cold water, the yerba expels the heat it received at the beginning since it is burned. Once again, this will only diminish or worsen the taste of your mate.
How much yerba mate to use?
This is a question that we all ask ourselves when entering in the world of mate. The first reaction is to put too much, and so later we see the little mountain go out of the limits of the mate.
The proportions are not exact, but to have an idea, the desired thing is that it reaches exactly the half of the mate. Although you will have the feeling that you are falling short in terms of quantity, it will surelly achieve the necessary uniformity. In case you do not follow the steps that we leave you above, what will happen is that the amount of yerba you put is not enough, or otherwise, too much.
What happens if I fall short?
Many wonder if more can be put on top of the already made mate in case the ammount of yerba was not enough. The truth is that the best scenario is to always provide the right amounts, however, if you put less there is an avaiable solution: just place what is missing on top of the already started mate.
In this case, it is not necessary to carry out the swelling process again, but you must be sure to put the new yerba on the mountain (dry part) and not where the bulb goes, so that you do not loose all the steps done beforehand. .
Can I mix herbs?
Some like the classic ones but also the milder ones, others just prefer a bitter taste but want the benefits of a healthy combine yerba.
In case you are one of these people, the types of yerba can be mixed. Actually, there is no universal rule…just depends on the taste of the consumer. Not likewise, what is not recommended is doing it with different brands or types that are completely contrasting.
What about the water?
Unless you are preparing to drink tereré, the bitter mate water should always be boiling.
In order to achieve this, a good quality thermo is neccessary (obviously apart from making sure that the liquid has actually boiled). In case this does not happen, the taste of the yerba mate will not be what expected, apart from even bring you a stomach problem.
It should be noted that to prepare your mate, the water must also be hot. In this case, it is not so important if it was boiling, but it must be at a higher temperature than the one that comes out of the tap.
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 full thermo of hot water, you can now enjoy your mate. The first one is probably the most bitter, but then the taste only gets better.
Why cold water first?
You will hear out there that many are used to putting only hot water and then going on to make the first infusion.
However, it is necessary to clarify that cold water beforehand is vital to achieve a perfect mate finish. Without a doubt, if you skip this step it will not be the same and the bitter taste will be much milder.
Why? Because the yerba is burned and the necessary property that emits that bitter taste is eliminated. Being “scorched” it is impossible for it to be in a position to be tested as it should.
In addition, the role of hot water will be much greater and you will feel that you are burning. This is important to do both in ceramic and gourd mate, since here the type of mate does not matter but the way in which it is prepared.
What yerba mate to start with?
There are many types of yerba mate, but to begin, it is best to choose one that is not too strong. Otherwise, it can disturb your sleep or make you feel that you are anxious and exacerbated.