Thursday, April 8, 2010

Suet Recipe



A couple of people asked me for the recipe for homemade suet. I don't measure my ingredients and I add different things depending on what I have on hand at the time. Usually when the corn meal, flour, raisins or oats get close to expiring I save them for suet.

For this batch I used:

One small tub of lard
2 jars of natural peanut butter, (I poured off some of the oil)
corn meal
9 grain bread flour, (you can use any kind of flour)
oatmeal
about 2 tablespoons of sugar
sunflower seeds
raisins
crushed egg shells, ( I save the shells from boiled eggs and put them in the freezer for spring suet)

I melt the lard and peanut butter on the stove on low heat. Once it is blended, I add the dry ingredients mixing and pouring until it is the texture I want. I spread it into a large cookie sheet and let it cool in the refrigerator. Once it has cooled and is firm, I cut it into squares that will fit the suet cages.

Here is the basic recipe that I started with from Julie Zickefoose:


Peanut Butter Suet Dough from Julie Zickefoose

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup lard
Combine and melt these two in the microwave, in the oven, or over very low heat on the stovetop. Remove from heat and stir in:

2 cups plain yellow cornmeal
2 cups quick oats
1 cup flour

Allow to cool and harden, then chop into chunks and store at room temperature in jars. Serve crumbled in a shallow dish.
 
Julie recommends that you only feed the birds this suet during the winter months. I still feed them suet in the spring and include the crushed egg shells for added calcium.

Here is another great resource for suet recipes. As the website shows, you can add all kinds of ingredients to make suet. I have yet to make any that the birds didn't devour.

7 comments:

Becca's Dirt said...

Sounds like a good recipe. I've never made homemade suet. I am really in-love with the feeder that you made. Wow and so simple.

Congrats on the weight loss. I know it is hard but you can do it.

F Cameron said...

Lucky birds!

Pat said...

Lucky birds !!
Never knew about egg shells.
Really like your log feeder...very cool looking.

A Garden of Threads said...

Thanks for the recipe, will have to try it out. Take care:)

Vicki's Bit-o-earth said...

Oh thank you Robin! I've never made my own suet, but now I will (: Vicki

Tammy@Simple Southern Happiness said...

That is an ideal feeder. Thank you so much for the recipe, I will make use of it this winter.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Thanks for the recipe... I have never made suet--and usually just buy mine at Walmart or Lowe's ... A friend also gave me ALOT which she got on sale. BUT--I'll keep the recipe IF I ever am so inclined to do it. Thanks!
Hugs,
Betsy