If you are looking for a great way to feed the birds in your yard this winter and provide them with the high energy foods they need for survival – then you need to try your hand at making your own bird suet!
Suet is a high calorie, high energy food source made from fat – and depending on the recipe – various other seeds, berries and foods. And can it ever be a lifesaver for many bird species when insects, seeds, and berries become hard to find in the fall and winter months!
Although you can certainly purchase pre-made suet blocks and cakes on line or in stores, making your own can save big on your budget. Even better, it can be fun to make, especially when you customize it with ingredients your local birds love.
The good news is that suet is really is easy to make! All it takes is a few ingredients and a little time, and you will be able to whip up some amazing treats for the birds you love to feed. It is something we have been doing for years for our birds each winter as a way to help them survive,
How To Make Bird Suet – The Perfect Way To Feed Birds In The Winter!
There are so many advantages to making your own suet. For starters, it allows you to control the ingredients and the ability to avoid using harmful fillers or preservatives often found in store-bought suet.
In addition, you can tailor the recipes to attract specific bird species It’s a great way to make your yard a haven for cardinals, blue jays, woodpeckers and a long list of colorful and friendly birds.
At its core, suet is made by combining animal fat (beef fat or lard) with dry ingredients like seeds, grains, and fruits. Making suet at home is often cheaper, especially when you use low cost beef fat or lard – and then pair it with inexpensive staples like seeds and oats.
What You Will Need – How To Make Bird Suet
If you are starting out for the first time – you will need to have a base fat. Raw beef suet (you can often find from a local butcher if you are lucky enough to have one) or lard are great for this. These fats are solid at room temperature, making them ideal for suet cakes.
You will also need some dry ingredients to add flavor to the base fat. Sunflower seeds, cracked corn, millet, rolled oats and unsalted nuts are all excellent choices. Dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries and cherries are good for adding flavor and energy as well.
Many bird lovers also add in additional ingredients such as peanut butter or mealworms to their suet to add even more protein. The choice is all up to you! Last but not least, you will also need a few forms if you want to shape your suet. We will cover more on that later in the article.
The Simple Steps To Create & Make Suet
Suet all starts with the fat. If you are using lard, simply add to a pan over the stove and allow it to slowly melt. If using raw beef suet, chop it into small pieces and melt it in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, strain out any solids using a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.
No matter what fat you use, allow it to cool slightly but not completely harden in the pan. In a separate bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients. As for how much you will need of your dry ingredients, a good rule of thumb is for every cup of lard or fat, you will want to add 2 cups of dry ingredients.
For example, if you mix 1 cup of birdseed, 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 cup of chopped peanuts and 1 cup of chopped dried fruit in your mixing bowl, you will need two cups of melted fat.
Once all of your dry ingredients are in the bowl, slowly pour the melted fat into the dry mix. Stir until everything is well-coated. We also like to mix in a little peanut butter right at this point for added protein and flavor for the birds.
Shaping Your Suet Into Balls, Cakes Or Blocks – How To Make Bird Suet
Now it is time to put your suet into a form if desired. To do this, you simply pour the mixture into molds or containers. Silicone molds, muffin tins or even small plastic containers work well. You can also spread the mixture into a shallow baking dish and cut it into blocks once set.
Another easy way to put them into a shape without using a form is to use your hands. Simply pat and form the drying suet into round balls with your hands. When doing this, a pair of plastic gloves keeps your hands from becoming overly greasy!
It really comes down to personal preference and to what type of feeders you use for suet. We have found suet balls to be the easiest. Both in forming and putting into suet feeders.
Let the suet cool completely in the refrigerator or freezer until it hardens. You can store unused suet in the refrigerator for up to a month. You can also freeze for longer storage.
Feeding Suet To Birds – How To Make Bird Suet
The best way to feed suet to birds is with a suet cage. They are a great solution and help keep the treats away from squirrels and other animals. The wire cages are designed to hold suet cakes securely and allow birds to cling while feeding. Affiliate Link: Single Hanging Suet Feeder, Fits All Suet Cakes Under 12 oz.
It’s also important to realize suet can go bad, especially if temperatures are warmer. You can help prevent this by hanging feeders in shadier areas and only feeding in the fall and winter months. Here is to making your own homemade suet this winter – and helping birds survive the long winter ahead!
Old World Garden Farms
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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