I tried making Malva pudding today using [this recipe](http://www.woolworths.co.za/store/fragments/recipe/recipe-index.jsp?contentId=cmp101391) and the results were decidedly off. I don't know if it was too acidy or basey but definitely didn't taste right. The recipy calls for 2tsp bicarb and 1tbsp vinegar. I did think it was quite a bit of vinegar at the time but trusted the recipe. I assumed the bicarb/vinegar would neutralize eachother and act as a rising agent.

Is this a usual amount of bicarb/vinegar to use in a recipe of this size? Or did I do something else wrong?

Full disclosure: I didn't have jam so that was excluded but followed the recipe faithfully otherwise, fresh ingredients and all. Could the exclusion of the jam have made a diff? I didn't think it would?

Edit:

It could have been the jam! Apricot jam has a pH of 3.8ish which is what makes it preserve so well I believe. So it's possible that the jam was also supposed to neutralize the bicarb.

Edit 2:

I asked about the acid base ratio at chemistry [here](https://chemistry.stackexchange.com/questions/24475/what-ratio-of-bicarb-to-vinegar-do-i-need-in-order-for-the-result-to-be-ph-neutr) and almost certainly too much bicarb!