While visiting one of our favourite birding stores to purchase a new bird feeder I got a recipe for a no melt, all season suet which I decided to try out.
Even though the recipe is called all season suet it doesn’t use actual suet that you can get at the meat counter or at the butcher shop.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup crunchy peanut butter,
- if plain nut butter add your own peanuts
- 2 cups oatmeal,
- 2 cups corn meal,
- 1 cup lard (not shortening),
- 1 cup white flour
- 1/3 cup of sugar
If you only have smooth peanut butter, add a 1/2 cup of chopped peanuts.
Melt the lard and peanut butter in the microwave and then stir in the other ingredients. The lard can be found in the baking section of grocery stores right next to the shortening. Do not substitute shortening for lard, birds need the animal fat contained in lard. You can also get lard from your butcher, preferable the rendered kind.
When it is all mixed you can put it into containers that you purchase bird suet in, or you can roll it into balls for putting into mesh bags. I also use cardboard tubes filled with suet, which when frozen fit nicely into the coil feeder.
As I already have a few of the bird cakes I make in the small square containers I opted to roll this mixture into small balls.
This recipe made me 6 good sized suet balls, or about 12 half cardboard tubes, or 3 flat containers (like the store bought suet comes in) Store them in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
I’ve wrapped one in the mesh covering from a box of clementines and hung it outside. So far the chickadees and woodpecker have had some nibbles.
This recipe was shared by The Birdhouse when it was located in Wooler. The Birdhouse store is now located in Brighton, Ontario.
lots more lens friends
Kelly
Hi!
I’m wondering if this all season suet can be put into some type of a mold (a circular one, kind of like a doughnut shape) and once hardened if it can be hung up with twine through the middle or would it just fall apart?
I’m looking for some type of bird food/feed to make like that with young grandchildren.
Crafty Gardener
Hi Kelly, yes it would work, but once the birds start to peck away at the suet it will eventually break. I would suggest putting it inside a mesh bag and that way the bits that break off will stay in the bag and the birds can still eat it. Thanks for stopping by today and taking time to leave a comment.
Kelly
Thank you so much for your fast reply! I have some mesh that I’ve used in other crafts that I’ve made..if only I can remember where it’s at LOL
I didn’t think they even made lard anymore, so thanks also for the tip on where to find it in the store!! It’ll be fun watching & helping the grandkids make this.
Crafty Gardener
Have fun making it with your grandkids.
Amanda
Can you use bacon grease in place of lard? I do not have lard.
Crafty Gardener
It could possibly work if you don’t have lard, but lard is best.
Chris
No bacon grease. It will get rancid and molded