A Classic Bulb offered from €100 purchase 🎁 !
If there is one nightmare that all mate lovers share, it is taking their gourd to make a mate, and finding that it is moldy. It is indeed common for a gourd mate gourd to become moldy when it is misused or improperly maintained .
So if the "nightmare" has become a reality for you (or if you want to avoid it happening to you), here is an article that explains how a gourd can get moldy, how to recognize if it is moldy and above all... How to restore it if it has indeed gotten moldy .
Of course, this problem only concerns traditional gourds made of squash, and not more modern mate cups made of glass, metal or even plastic.
The inside of the gourd changes color and turns green/black as it is used. This is completely normal, it is the wall that is impregnated with the yerba mate, and it is not mold . Example below:
Dark color normally observed
But then, how do you know when the gourd has traces of mold?
Mold usually appears as dark spots . It can be recognized by the fine whitish fuzz (with a "spiderweb" texture) that settles on its surface.
First of all, it's important to remember that the gourd mate cup is... made of gourd! It's made from a fruit and therefore requires special care.
If you're wondering how a gourd can get moldy, the answer is one word: humidity .
In 100% of cases, gourds that have gone moldy have gone moldy due to excess humidity.
Here are some concrete (and frequent) cases:
The gourd must be cleaned before its first use in order to remove all residue and make the wall less porous.
Improper cleaning can cause a gourd to become moldy , as the many residues that were not removed during cleaning can remain damp and therefore become ideal breeding grounds for all types of mold.
Most common mistake: drying your gourd upside down. Although it seems natural to dry your mate pot upside down (as you would any other container), it is absolutely not recommended for one simple reason: leaving it upside down traps moisture inside .
Classic mistake: Drying your gourd upside down
It is not recommended to store your gourd in a closed place (cupboard, wardrobe, etc.) if it is not perfectly dry, as moisture may stagnate inside. Generally speaking, we recommend storing your mate gourd(s) in an open environment.
Classic… What matero has never forgotten his yerba mate in his gourd after sipping his mate all day!
Again, due to humidity, it is best to discard the yerba and clean the gourd once the mate is finished.
A moldy gourd is obviously an unusable gourd. Therefore, you must react at the first sign of mold.
There are several methods for restoring a mate gourd, we have selected the one that seems to us to be the simplest (and safest):
If all went well, the gourd should be usable again (be sure to check that it worked before using it again).
Here is a short video demonstration (in Spanish) of this method by one of our Argentinian counterparts:
Additional tip : Dry the gourd well in the sun (if there is sun) because sunlight is the worst enemy of mold (and therefore the best friend of your gourd).
For your curiosity or if you simply want to use another method, here are two other popular and effective approaches:
Alternative 1 - with alcohol:
This method requires special care, especially when using alcohol and burning it. We only recommend this method if you are confident you can perform these steps safely .
Video demonstration (in Spanish, again):
Alternative 2 - with lemon juice:
This option can be practical since it only requires hot water and a lemon. Moreover, it has the advantage of being completely risk-free (unlike the previous alternative, which involves burning alcohol!).
The recipe for keeping a gourd in good condition is quite simple. Simply protect it from moisture and always dry it thoroughly after use. For more information, find out in detail how to maintain a mate gourd .
