Copy of a post from the original Patio

[joan w]

This is a copy of a post by BB.

Here's the suet recipe. The credit goes to Amigo Diane who posted this recipe on the GT a few years back with the warning to tell other family members that it is for the birds. It looks good enough to eat once prepared-she caught her hubby sampling it before he realized it wasn't people food-lol!

The birds will be ringing your doorbell for some.
~bb

2 cups chunky peanut butter

2 cups lard (or vegetable shortening)

2 cups flour

3 cups cornmeal (750 gram box)

3 cups quick-cook oats

2 cups birdseed

Melt together-peanut butter and lard.
Mix in rest of ingredients and pour into large
rectangular pan & let cool.
Cut into squares and store in freezer.

Credit: Amigo Diane
Oct 21/04

[butterfly]

Thanks

c/p and printed out in my book, won't loose this again now

I put unsalted peanuts in mine.

A cake lasts maybe a day

The birds love it, and it's fun to watch them come for it over and over. I am surprised they don't fall over they must get so full

[MareE]

Laffs BF! Teetering snowpeople now teetering boidies. Yeah, the peanut butter ingredient got stuck to the roof of Diane's hubby's mouth, right Joni-O? Darn tootin' good recipe...for the birds!!

Good'un ya keeping a copy!

Mare-O minus oomlauts;o}

[butterfly]

Mare

I remember Diane's hubby thought they were new squares she had made and had to eat a sample

That was so funny

[B_BQ]

Shoot - I read this about half an hour too late!

I just made up a batch, but couldn't remember all the ingredients.

Anyhoo, I used what I had on hand, which was:
Peanut Butter; Lard; Quick Oats; Bird Seed

I didn't put any flour or cornmeal in! Is it going to matter?

~BBQ

[Countryboy]

Geez I'm gonna have to hide this thread from my Woodpeckers.

They get fat to eat. Pure, frozen fat from the butcher. No birdseed, no peanut butter, no flour, no cornmeal . . . no nothing but cut off fat in an old onion bag. lol

But they seem to love it!

Frank . . ON5a

[joan w]

I think they'll eat it without the flour and cornmeal Brenda.

Frank, I'm going to ask the butcher for some fat. Good idea!!

[Countryboy]

I guess really that the fat it would substitute for the lard in the other recipes. Whatever it is tho . . . it's pure energy for the birds in the Winter. Woodpeckers are there constantly, but the others have a go at it periodically.

The great thing abt it is that the butchers are always happy to get rid of it . . . no charge! lol

Frank . . ON5a

[bluebird]

They get fat to eat. Pure, frozen fat from the butcher. No birdseed, no peanut butter, no flour, no cornmeal . . . no nothing but cut off fat in an old onion bag. lol

Frank . . ON5a

Hey Frank...glad to hear you're keeping your birds well fed!

You should consider rendering the fat before putting it out for those mild winter days that can suddenly come along. The fat is okay as long as it remains extremely cold out, but on a mild day, unrendered fat can easily go rancid and spoil and that wouldn't be good for the birds.

It's very easy to render fat to prevent it from spoiling even in 20C temps.

How to Render Suet:

You can trim excess fat off beef cuts and store in the freezer until enough fat is achieved or you can purchase beef fat from the grocery store or your nearby butcher.

1. Grind the beef fat with a meat grinder or finely chop the fat.
2. Heat the fat over a low to medium flame until its liquefied.
3. Strain by pouring melted suet through a fine cheesecloth.
4. Let cool to harden.
5. Repeat steps 2-3. If the fat is not rendered twice, the suet will not cake properly.
6. Let cool to harden and store in a covered container in the freezer.
REF: Suet Facts, Feeders & Recipes by the Nutty Birdwatcher

You can just pour the rendered fat into an old margarine container or similar, let it cool and then put it out as usual. It's great to use to "butter" pine cones too!

Thanks Joan for reposting Amigo Diane's great recipe! It's not written in stone and for sure you can make adjustments as needed.

[Eeyore]

I use shortening when I make suet for the reasons that BB mentions. I don't want the suet going rancid on milder days. I've never tried rendering the fat, but butchers here don't give anything away!