Calabash

Natural calabash gourds require more care than ceramic ones. Below you will find a guide on how to activate your new calabash and what to expect from a natural gourd.

Activating (curado) a new natural calabash

How to prepare a new natural gourd calabash for drinking yerba maté before its first use.
Why activation is necessary
A new natural gourd calabash contains remnants of the fruit's pulp (pith) on the inside of the wall. If the calabash is not prepared, the drink may taste bitter, have an unpleasant smell, and pieces of pulp may release from the inner walls. The process of removing it and hardening the walls is called curado.

Activation process (curado)

1. Fill the calabash with maté: pour in loose yerba maté – preferably the variety you plan to drink – up to about 2/3 to 3/4 of the volume.
2. Pour in hot water: the water temperature should be around 70–80 °C; fill it right to the brim.
3. Let it steep for 24 hours: ideally overnight and throughout the next day, so the water sufficiently softens the inner pith of the walls.
4. Empty the contents and rinse: on the second day, discard the steeped maté and rinse the calabash with clean water.
5. Scrape out the inside: using a spoon (or a bombilla), gently scrape the softened pith and seed residues from the walls. Be careful not to pierce the thin "tail" at the bottom of the calabash – otherwise, the vessel might leak.
6. Repeat 2–3 times: repeat the process with a new batch of maté until the pith is gone and the inner surface is smooth and firm.
7. Dry it: finally, rinse the calabash with cold water and leave it to dry thoroughly with the opening facing up in a well-ventilated area, away from direct sunlight.

Appearance of the inner surface of a new calabash

In a new, untreated calabash, the inner surface is often whitish to yellowish, spongy or lumpy, and may look "dusty" or spotted in places. This is not mould or a defect – it is the natural pulp (parenchyma) and seed remnants of the gourd fruit that remained after hollowing and drying. This layer is bitter and absorbent, which is why it is gradually removed during the curado process until the smoother, harder surface of the woody wall is revealed.
Health and safety
The inner pulp is simply dried plant tissue and is not harmful to your health on its own. It is removed primarily for the sake of taste (bitterness) and to prevent the calabash from retaining moisture during further use, which could lead to the growth of actual mould. If a white coating appears after curado is complete – typically after prolonged use and imperfect drying between preparations – this is actual mould, and the calabash needs to be treated again or replaced.