| Another deer hunting season is over and I have been | | | | sprinkled each layer with canning salt. I placed the jar in |
| presented with several deer hearts. The heart is no | | | | the refrigerator and let it stand for about 8-hours. After |
| different than any other organ meat and can be | | | | that time I will take them out of the jar and rinse them |
| prepared in a number of ways. One way is to slice it | | | | with clear water. Then I put them in a pot of water to |
| thin and fry it for sandwiches. I have also stuffed the | | | | cook until they are fork tender, usually 30-45-minutes |
| heart and baked it for a main course. Serve it with | | | | on simmer. |
| mashed potatoes and country gravy, a salad and | | | | Meanwhile I make a pickling solution of 2-quarts |
| bread for a satisfying dining experience. The hunters | | | | vinegar, 1-small hot pepper, 2-tablespoons fresh grated |
| around here seem to lean towards the pickled | | | | horseradish, 1-teaspoon whole black peppercorns, |
| delicacy. That is another thing they can not find in a | | | | 1-teaspoon whole allspice and 1-bay leaf. I bring this |
| supermarket. | | | | solution to a boil. When the sliced heart is fork tender I |
| Today I have started to pickle those hearts. I have | | | | discard the water it was cooked in. I pack the heart |
| washed them well several times and sliced them into 1 | | | | slices in jars, pour the boiling vinegar solution over them, |
| 2-inch slices. I put them in a glass gallon jar and | | | | making sure they are covered. |