This pickled deer heart recipe adds a bright mix of vinegar and pickling spice to the meat, making it taste great. When it comes to meat, organs are some of the healthiest parts. If you were lucky enough to catch a deer this season, this easy pickled heart recipe is the best way to enjoy it.
I understand, pickling venison heart is definitely a love-it-or-hate-it type thing. Growing up, my dad always pickled his deer hearts and I was always too repulsed to try it. But my tastes have changed since then, and I now understand how special this treat can be. That’s why I made my own pickled deer heart recipe to honor my dad’s favorite treat.
Deer heart tastes slightly sweet, with a rather firm fine-grained texture. It doesn’t have as strong of a flavor as liver or other organ meats, so it soaks up all the flavors of the pickling brine perfectly. This recipe is a great way to get people to try venison heart, and it could become a new tradition for you every hunting season.
Pickled beef heart is a unique preserved meat that offers a tasty way to enjoy an often overlooked cut. Canning it at home lets you control the flavors while creating a shelf-stable product. This article explains everything you need to know to pickle and can beef heart safely.
Beef heart is packed with nutrients like zinc, iron, selenium, and B vitamins. It has a delicious rich, meaty flavor when cooked right. Fresh beef heart only lasts a few days in the fridge though.
Pickling allows you to preserve beef heart so it lasts for up to a year shelf-stable The brining process also tenderizes the meat while infusing tangy, acidic flavors The end result is pickled beef heart with a pleasantly firm texture and zesty taste.
Once canned, pickled beef heart can be stored at room temperature until opened. Then it needs refrigerating. The pickled heart pieces make a unique addition to sandwiches, salads, soups, and more.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Canning Pickled Beef Heart
Follow this simple 10-step process to pickle and can beef heart safely at home
1. Select the Beef Heart
- Buy 2 to 3 pounds of fresh, raw beef heart within a couple days of butchering.
- Choose hearts that are bright cherry-red with minimal fat or membranes.
- Rinse under cold water and pat thoroughly dry.
2. Prepare the Canning Jars and Lids
- Wash 4 pint-sized mason jars and bands in hot soapy water.
- Sterilize the jars in simmering water for 10 minutes.
- Leave jars in the hot water until filling.
- Boil new lids in water for 5 minutes to soften seals. Set aside.
3. Slice the Beef Heart
- Trim any fat or membranes from the beef heart.
- Cut the heart into 1/4-inch thick slices.
- Cut slices into 1-inch cubes.
- Add to a large bowl.
4. Make the Vinegar Brine
- Combine 3 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 cup water, 3/4 cup white sugar, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 4 cloves, and 2 bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar and salt dissolve.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
5. Pack the Jars Tightly
- Use a funnel to pack the cubed beef tightly into the sterilized jars.
- Pour the hot brine over the meat, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
- Remove any air pockets with a chopstick.
- Add more brine if needed to cover meat.
6. Seal the Jars
- Wipe jar rims clean. Center lids on top.
- Screw bands on fingertip tight. Do not overtighten.
7. Process the Filled Jars
- Place jars in a pressure canner filled with 2-3 inches of simmering water.
- Lock lid and bring to 10 PSI. Once pressurized, process jars for 75 minutes at 10 PSI.
- Turn off heat and allow pressure to drop naturally before removing jars.
8. Cool and Set Sealed Jars Aside
- Remove jars from canner carefully. Cool undisturbed for 12-24 hours.
- Check seals by pressing on center of each lid. If it flexes up and down, it did not seal.
- Refrigerate unsealed jars immediately to use within 3-5 days.
9. Label the Sealed Jars
- Wipe sealed jars clean. Label with contents and canning date.
- Decorative cloth jar bands or painted labels look nice.
10. Store Canned Pickled Beef Heart
- Store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark pantry for up to 1 year.
- Refrigerate after opening. Use within 1 month.
- Enjoy the pickled beef heart!
Tips for Delicious Home-Canned Pickled Beef Heart
Follow these tips for best results:
- Use only high-quality, fresh beef heart within 2 days of butchering. Discard any bad spots.
- Cut uniform 1/4-inch slices for even brining and texture. Cubes work well too.
- Process sealed jars for the full recommended time (75 mins) to eliminate botulism risk.
- Use non-reactive stainless steel pots, utensils and funnels.
- Add pickling spices to the brine for extra flavor. Try peppercorns, bay leaves, coriander seeds, etc.
- Store at temperatures below 75°F for best quality and food safety.
- Refrigerate after opening. Use within 1 month for quality and safety.
How to Serve Canned Pickled Beef Heart
There are many ways to eat and enjoy your homemade canned pickled beef heart:
- Thinly slice and enjoy on crackers and cheese boards.
- Dice and add to hearty pasta, potato, egg, or grain salads.
- Chop and mix into meatloaf, burgers, meatballs for depth of flavor.
- Skewer for kabobs, tacos, sandwiches with veggies and sauce.
- Shred and pair with barbecue sauce for bold sandwiches or pizza toppings.
- Dice into robust soups, stews, and chili recipes for unique texture.
Now that you know the simple steps for how to can pickled beef heart at home, give it a try! This satisfying preserved meat is sure to become a new favorite.
How to clean deer heart
For the best tasting deer heart, you are going to need to clean it properly. This is really easy to do. Cut off any veins, vessels, connective tissue, or other stringy parts that are still attached to the outside of the heart with a sharp knife. This is the first step in field dressing your deer.
Most likely, the top of the heart will have a hard fat cap on it. This won’t taste very good. Cut off the entire top portion of the heart and remove it. You should now be left with a fairly clean-looking heart.
The final step is rinsing out the heart. Run it under cold water while squeezing the heart in pulses to expel the water. Initially, the water will come out red as it cleans out any leftover blood. Keep rinsing until the water runs clear, then drain heart of water.
Tip: You should also run your finger inside the valves to make sure there aren’t any blood clots there. This would be discovered while boiling or slicing, but it is best to remove it in advance.
- Deer heart—This recipe can also be used with other types of wild game, beef heart, or deer meat cuts like deer tongue.
- Pickling spice—You don’t have to use pickling spice, but I like how my blend of spices makes things taste better. Using storebought pickling spice is fine too.
- Yellow onions
- You can also change the taste by adding white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Water
- Brown sugar can be used for a darker taste instead of white sugar.
- Garlic cloves
- You can leave out the red pepper flakes if you don’t want any heat.
- Kosher salt
- Quart jar
How to make it
To start this deer heart recipe, make sure there is enough water in a large pot to cover the heart. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Add one sliced onion along with one tablespoon of pickling spices and the deer heart. Boil heart for approximately 30 minutes, or until the heart is fully cooked.
Put the second medium-sized saucepan on the stove and add the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic, red pepper flakes, and the last tablespoon of pickling spice. Let it cook while the heart cooks. Set the pan on low heat and let it stay low for 10 minutes, or until the sugar and salt are completely mixed in. Then remove the pan from the heat and let cool slightly.
When the heart is done, put it on a cutting board and cut it into quarter-inch slices that are easy to chew. Any tough bits found inside the sliced heart valves can be trimmed off and discarded.
So that the quart jar is full, put layers of raw onion slices and deer heart slices on top of each other. Cover the heart and onions with brine. Make sure a garlic clove and a lot of pickling spice get into the jar.
Pickled Beef Heart
FAQ
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