How to store your Biltong

Our Advise to our clients

After receiving your Biltong, the best way to store it is to keep it in the fridge once you've opened the sealed package. You can store it in a closet, providing the sealed package is unopened, for up to 60 days. It takes about an hour to reach room temperature and soften up. There are no preservatives, so mold can occur.

We have found best practise is in the fridge, in a brown open bag.

Beef biltong is at its best when the inside is soft, moist and red in colour, with a hard brown outer layer. To keep it from drying out further, wrap the biltong in cling wrap, squeeze out all the air, and deep-freeze it indefinitely Thaw biltong overnight in the refrigerator, and then at room temperature for 1 hour. If you prefer dry biltong, store it in a cool, dry place where it can be kept for many years, ( the fat may go rancid with time but the meat will keep).

Dry biltong can also be stored in a muslin bag, which allows free air circulation. Never store dry biltong in plastic. Freeze grated biltong in plastic bags or airtight plastic containers but remember to bring it to room temperature before serving -biltong has very little taste if it is too cold.

Biltong or smoked foods should be consumed within a week of preparation in order to avoid the possibility of mould, especially during wet and rainy periods or if you live in humid coastal areas.

If you want to keep biltong over an extended period, rather put some pieces into a plastic bag, suck out as much air as possible through a straw, seal, and freeze for months.

If mould should occur, it can be removed by wiping it of with a cloth which has been dampened with vinegar.

A few simple precautions will prevent the occurrence of this irritating phenomenon. Biltong, especially the "wettish" type, can be affected by mould after it has been purchased and not consumed within a few days. It can also occur while making your own biltong. The following are the most common causes of mould and include some tips on how to prevent it:

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1. Mould is more likely to occur during hot and humid summer periods, especially at coastal areas unless you put the Biltong Maker in an air-conditioned room. Traditionally the "Biltong Making Season" was during the winter months. However, with the new methods of making biltong such as drying cabinets, you can now make your biltong all year round. Just avoid putting your Biltong Maker in a humid damp surroundings.

2. Mould is very likely to occur if strips of meat touch each other during the hanging period. Special care should therefore be taken to ensure that each strip of meat hangs freely. Remember, if mould starts up it rapidly spreads to the rest of the batch.

3. Mould is also more likely to form on meat that has been vacuum sealed or pre-packed and been lying in its own blood for a few days on the cold racks in shops. If you only have access to vacuum or pre-packed meat, establish whether the bloodiness has gone "tacky" when you unseal it. If it has, beware, this is a prime mould stimulant. You will need to wipe the meat thoroughly with a cloth dipped in vinegar, and pat it dry with a kitchen towel before starting with your preparations for making biltong. The best is to always buy fresh meat at the butcher.

4. Do not hang meat in a dank out-building or a musty room which has been closed for months on end. The fresher the air and the better the ventilation, the less danger there will be of mould contamination.

5. Many people hang their biltong in the kitchen and there is nothing wrong with that. Take care however, if the kitchen is very compact the steam from the cooking pots, kettles and the wash-up can create unacceptably high humid conditions.

6. It is quite fine to keep your Biltong Maker in an air-conditioned area. This will prevent mould from happening especially in humid conditions.

7. If you detect the first signs of mould forming you can save your batch by acting quickly. Wipe of all traces of mould with cloth which has been dipped in vinegar. This kills of the mould spores and you can continue hanging the meat to dry.

8. If mould has severely contaminated a batch of hanging biltong it will not dry out, irrespective of how long it hangs. Give it to the dogs. It is not a pretty sight and it will get worse the longer it hangs!