French Press -Tea pot / Tea Bags
A french press or a teapot is a convenient way to enjoy your loose-leaf Yerba maté. The trick is to make sure you use clean, filtered water that is heated to between 70 and 80 degrees. You should never use mineral water to make Yerba maté.
How to Brew
Add about 3 grams (one teaspoonful) of Yerba maté leaves to your press or pot. Add your hot water and brew for 5 minutes to allow for maximum flavour and release of all the good vitamins and minerals in Yerba maté.
If using a teabag, same goes - brew for 5 minutes before drinking. You can leave the bag in your mug to ensure you get maximal goodness out of your beverage.
Yerba maté is often good for 2 or 3 rounds of “top ups” - simply add extra hot water. You’ll notice new layers of flavour are released on each round.
You can enjoy Yerba maté plain, or experiment with adding sugar, honey or milk - just as you would in traditional tea.
Instant maté and Iced maté
Yerba maté is now available for consumption in many more ways than it traditionally has been! Instant maté is great for convenience, and enjoying Yerba maté over ice is a great way to switch it up in summer.
For instant maté, add hot milk for a creamy beverage or hot water for something more thirst- quenching. Kids love it with milk, and you can add a bit of honey or sugar to sweeten the deal.
Iced maté is great on a hot day. Simply brew your Yerba maté (make it a bit stronger than usual as the ice will dilute it) add a small amount of hot water, let it steep for a few minutes, then pour over ice. Or if you’d like to skip the brewing, we have soluble maté too.
Add your sugar or honey before it’s iced, as it will dissolve quicker in hot water.
And that’s it!
Check out our range of Yerba maté products for different varieties, flavours and accessories, and remember, Yerba maté is always best when shared.
Storing your Yerba maté
To ensure your Yerba maté maintains its optimal flavour, store it in an airtight container, away from any strong smelling foods such as onions or garlic.
Water
Like any infusion, yerba mate’s taste, colour, and aroma is influenced by the water used to make it. When making yerba mate, you should always start with cool water that is as clean as possible. If your tap water is not high-quality or is in anyway contaminated, it is best to filter it. Do not use mineral water to make yerba mate.
Water used to brew yerba mate should be just boiled, but not over-boiled. As soon as your water begins to boil, remove it from the heat. Boiling water too long reduces the oxygen content which negatively affects the quality of yerba mate. If you plan to drink your mate the traditional way from a gourd, do not boil the water. Instead, use water that is 70-80 degrees, but not hotter.
Tea Bags:
Steep mate tea bags in just boiled water for five minutes. Add milk, sweeteners, or additional water to taste.
Instant Mate:
Instant mate tastes best when prepared with hot milk (kid’s love it this way), but can also be prepared with water. Instant yerba mate is quite concentrated, so use only one teaspoon per cup. Mix the instant mate well with hot milk or just boiled water. Sweeten to taste and enjoy.
Iced Mate:
Iced mate is a refreshing alternative to traditional hot mate (and is especially good when made with our mandarin orange and strawberry vanilla flavors). Prepare iced mate as you would traditional mate, but let the tea bags steep a few minutes longer. The extra steep time allows you to pour the mate over ice without diluting its flavor. Also, it’s best to add any sweeteners to your mate before pouring it over ice, as they will dissolve more easily in hot liquid.
Storage:
When you’re done, make sure to store your yerba mate in an opaque, airtight container to protect it from light and humidity. You should also store your yerba mate away from strong-smelling foods that may affect its taste and aroma.
