When you buy a new pumpkin mate it is necessary to subject it to a "cure" of a few days so that the calabaza reaches its ideal state.
First, give the mate a good rinse with water very hot and let it rest for a few minutes so that it moistens properly.
We then proceed by filling the mate with already used yerba to the brim and pouring in hot water of around 40°-45° and then letting everything rest for 24 hours. After a day you will change the yerba and with a teaspoon will scrape the inside to remove skin, membranes or wood fragments.
The operation will be repeated until the pumpkin reaches the ideal color indicating that the mate is ready. The care techniques can vary depending on the type of pumpkin we are going to use and also depending on the flavor we want to give it, there are, in fact, many procedures and different ingredients to experiment with.
Among the most suggestive we mention the treatment with:
- sugar
- the caramel
- whiskey