My Biltong Tastes Too Vinegary: Find Out Why

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Have you ever experienced the disappointment of biting into a piece of biltong only to be overwhelmed by a strong vinegar taste? We enjoy biltong for its rich, savoury flavour and tender texture. However, when the taste of vinegar becomes overpowering, it can seriously diminish the enjoyment of this beloved snack. So what causes biltong to taste too vinegary?

Two factors contribute to your biltong tasting too vinegary; One is if you marinated your meat too long or longer than your taste preference, and two, you chose the wrong type of vinegar.

The marinating process plays a significant role in the outcome of your biltong. If you marinate biltong in vinegar for too long, it can result in an overpowering vinegary taste. The longer your meat marinates, the more salt and vinegar it will absorb. For most people, biltong is best marinated for no more than 24 hours, although this will vary depending on the individual.

Additionally, the type of vinegar used can greatly impact the flavour of your biltong. If a highly acidic vinegar is used (such as white vinegar) or if the biltong is not allowed sufficient time to dry and mellow out, the vinegar flavour can become overwhelming. Generally, brown vinegar and apple cider vinegar provide the most mellow outcomes.

Lastly, personal preferences also play a role; what may be considered too vinegary for one person might be enjoyable for another. Achieving the perfect balance of vinegar in biltong requires precision and careful consideration of these factors to ensure a delightful and harmonious flavour profile.

In this article, we will explore the possible reasons why your biltong tastes too vinegary and discuss potential solutions to restore the balance and enhance your biltong-eating experience. Let’s delve into the issue and discover how to address it effectively.

Why Does My Biltong Taste Too Vinegary?

When encountering biltong that is excessively vinegary, the experience can be rather overpowering and overwhelming. While some might enjoy a hint of vinegar flavour in their biltong, an excessive amount can detract from the desired savoury taste.

The most common reason for biltong tasting too vinegary is marinating your meat too long or using the wrong type of vinegar. Both of these factors will depend on your taste preferences, some people like a strong salty taste, while others like a mild flavour.

If your biltong tastes too vinegary the first approach would be to limit your marination time. For the optimal amount of time to marinate biltong, this post will provide all the details. If you don’t like strong flavours, limit your marination time to a couple of hours.

Another point is to make sure you are not submerging the meat in vinegar. A sprinkle of vinegar or a quick dip is sufficient before salting and then leaving to marinate in the fridge. Vinegar is used to neutralise the pH balance of your meat and start drawing out moisture. Therefore, it’s not necessary to submerge your meat in vinegar, a simple spray will do the job.

A common cause for biltong tasting too vinegary is using an astringent (or harsh) tasting vinegar. The most flavourful, yet mild-flavoured vinegars are brown malt vinegar and apple cider vinegar (malt vinegar is the most traditional vinegar). If you’d like a full run down on all types of vinegar and how they taste with biltong, check out this post.

Ultimately biltong making (DIY biltong) is an experimental hobby, which allows you to discover new flavours and the most preferred tastes for you. Try different times for marination and different types of vinegar to experience all the possibilities.

Marinating biltong
marinating Biltong

Do You Have To Use Vinegar In Biltong?

Having an experience with overly vinegary biltong might result in caution around using vinegar again (understandably). So we ask the question, do you have to use vinegar in biltong? (Can you make biltong without vinegar?)

It is essential to use vinegar in biltong as it is responsible for several key functions in making biltong. The most important is vinegar is needed to neutralise the pH of the meat and kill surface bacteria. Secondly, vinegar helps to draw out moisture from the meat, which is essential in the drying/curing process.

Thirdly, biltong is not biltong without vinegar, as vinegar adds the traditional and unique flavour that we know and love.

If you are particularly adverse to vinegar flavour, the best approach is to lightly sprinkle or spray your biltong with vinegar. After applying vinegar, then provide your meat with minimal marination time.

Some biltong makers don’t marinate at all, they simply spray vinegar, pat on the salt and spices, and then hang it to dry. Biltong allows for trial and error which can only happen through experimentation. Have a go and decide for yourself how you like to do it.

Biltong hanging to dry

Should You Rinse Off The Vinegar After Marinating?

If you look into the world of biltong recipes, it can be overwhelming and quite confusing with so many different preferences and techniques. One practice you might have noticed is washing off the vinegar marinade after marinating.

It can be beneficial to rinse your biltong after marination if you want to avoid overly salty or vinegary-tasting biltong. The ideal practice is to use one part water with one part vinegar to wash your biltong and remove excess salt. After rinsing, you then need to pat dry the biltong and reapply your spices before hanging it out to dry.

I use this technique as the first time I made biltong it turned out excessively salty and vinegary. This was after following all the directions in my chosen recipe and using no more than 2% salt per kg of meat. By rising off the salt and marinade, I find that my biltong turns out perfect every time, even if I use too much salt.

For an awesome biltong recipe, I highly recommend the famous and much-loved “Greedy Ferret’s” recipe. This recipe is full of helpful advice and is the most traditional recipe to follow (in my opinion).

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