No-Melt Suet (For Birds)

SrtaMaestra's Note:

This is a tried and true suet recipe that I found in Birds and Blooms Extra, contributed by Virginia Barnard. She explains that it works very well in Oklahoma's high summer temperatures. We live in Wisconsin, where it obviously isn't quite as hot, but it has held up here, even in direct sun. The squirrels like it too, but now that we're offering other food for them, a little ways away, they aren't bothering it as much as they were at first. The recipe is written for lard, but I used saved bacon grease and it has worked fine. The next time I make it, I'm going to experiment with less or none of the sugar, as it doesn't seem necessary. But, I guess maybe the birds could have a little sweet tooth, too! Note: yield is approximate. I doubled the batch last time I made it, and filled 2 quart ziplock containers after putting some in a feeder, so I'm not exactly sure how much I started out with.

• Total Time: 10 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 5 cups

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 cups cornmeal
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup lard (I use bacon grease)
• 1 cup crunchy peanut butter

Directions:

1. Melt the lard and peanut butter together, either on the stove or in the microwave.
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the melted fats.
4. The original recipe suggests pouring into a square pan about 2 inches deep, or spreading onto tree limbs. I just put it into ziplock containers and scoop it out as needed to fill a screen type of feeder (See photos). I use my cookie scoop to take it out, but then mash and break up the scoops, because otherwise the squirrels can come and take a whole scoop at once, way too easily! I don't know if it would hold up well in cake form, as I haven't tried that, but it defintely doesn't melt or make a gloppy mess.

Reviews

[likeriaj]

this recipe is awesome, i had birdseed leftover and i used that instead of the oatmeal and the birds in my back yard love it and i am having a hard time keeping my feeder full. they shape well hold form. i dont think i will ever buy suet again when it is so quick and easy to make my own. thanx for sharing this recipe

[Dreamer in Ontario]

These are great little suet cakes. They're far less expensive than commercial cakes and are quick to prepare. I added some dried cranberries to this batch and omitted the sugar. I'll be making more this weekend. I have some ground nuts in the freezer and will try adding those to the mix. It's not very warm here at this time of year so I couldn't test the "no-melt" aspect of this recipe. Thanks for posting. They'll be wonderful little gifts for bird lovers. Edited to add: I've made these again. This time I added some wild bird seed and cranberries to the mix and took a photo.

[ladyfingers]

This is an excellent base for making bird suet. I am surprised more people don't make their own instead of buying those inferior commercial blocks. Birds flock to this so much more readily too (as do those stinker squirrels). Other additions you might consider--bird seed or just sunflowers or dried fruit. I do not add the sugar--seems unnecessary and the birds around here sure don't seem to mind. Thanks, SrtaMaestra. Anyone who feeds birds has to be A-okay.