Home Made Suet?
 

Anyone have any good recipes for home made suet? I have some pork lard and bird seed but is there anything else I can add? And I don't have one of those wire suet holders...is there something else I can use/make?

hey lp,,, there are a bunch of different recipe's here...
[url]www.birdnature.com/suet.html[/url]

and if you go to dollarama, buy a couple of the bags of chocolate balls you can use the mesh bag for the suet ball, then you and the birds are happy.:D

You can pretty much use anything with holes the birds can get their beak in (and that they won't get caught in of course) that will hold the suet.

My dad used to use a piece of grill grating. He just nailed it to a tree.

You can also use one of those mesh bags that onions come in. :thumbs up

[QUOTE=rainbow;869038]You can also use one of those mesh bags that onions come in. :thumbs up[/QUOTE]

but then she doesn't get the chocolates..

[QUOTE=aslan;869043]but then she doesn't get the chocolates..[/QUOTE]

But the dollar store chocolate is :yuck: ....LP has her own chocolate and it's the yummiest chocolate that I ever tasted. :cloud9:

And, the bags they come in are too little ....the 3lb onion bag is a good size. :D

Thanks for that link Aslan...I'll check it out!

Just cleaned out my refrigerator yesterday and must have thrown out 1/2 dozen onion bags :frustrated:. What I [I]can[/I] get my hands on is this elasticized type cotton netting that we use to wrap hams...would that do? Or is that something birds can get caught in once the suet is almost all gone :o? I don't have my car for another week or two and [B]DH[/B] won't go out to get me a feeder so I'll have to come up with something I can find around here. And what about fresh fruit vs. dried fruit (threw out some raisins and dehydrated apricots too during the big fridge cleanup :wall:)?

Oh, and pork fat is ok to use, right?

LP, there are a bunch of homemade suet recipes here: [URL="http://forum.feederwatch.org/2009/11/05/suet-cake-recipe/?vm=13#post13"]http://forum.feederwatch.org/2009/11/05/suet-cake-recipe/?vm=13#post13[/URL]

It's from Cornell U's Project FeederWatch forum.

Here's some ideas for holders from [url]http://www.the-scoop-on-wild-birds-and-feeders.com/suetbirdfeeders.html[/url]

[QUOTE]
● Mesh onion bags make ideal and economical suet holders. Simply fill with clumps of fresh suet, suet balls or suet cakes and hang the bag outside.

● Wire mesh or screen can be cut in a rectangular or square shape. Then attach the piece to a board on three sides by stapling it or nailing. Leave the fourth side open at the top creating a “wow” for a pocket to insert the suet. It may be necessary to attach a lid to keep Squirrels and other critters from carrying off the whole clump.

● Pine cones spread with suet and rolled in seed.

● Spread suet on branches of trees.

● Suet can be worked into the holes of a feeder log. (A chunk of log not too thick, that has been drilled at intervals and hung up for the wild birds; is natural looking and great fun.)

● Suet can be stuffed into holes in a tree or post.

● Try these handy containers to hold suet that has been rendered

Melon shells

Egg shells

Coconut shells

Ice cream cones

Hard taco shells

Baked tart or pie shells

Cup shaped fruit rind from oranges or grapefruit
[/QUOTE]

Aslan, that site gave me some good ideas on feeders...I actually have some leftover fencing I can use to wrap around trees :thumbs up.

Hazel, that's a great site too! But I only see recipes using beef fat. Has anyone used pork? I have it in lard form already :shrug:...only have to melt it down and add other yummies.

i would assume that fat is fat so pork should be just as good. ummm how exactly does one melt down lard..i thought you wanted it in a solid kinda form.

According to this site you can use pork fat ...

[url]http://www.trails.com/list_8193_homemade-suet-feeders.html[/url]

Thank you rainbow!!

Aslan, lard is solidified and rendered fat. We sell fried pork fat, sort of like 'cracklings' at our store. The leftover grease is poured into containers, cooled, and sold as lard. I'd have to melt it down again to add the rest of the ingredients, and cool it down again to form lard, or suet, cakes.

:eek: you didn't tell me you had cracklin when i was there...:sad:

You're going to have to come back :D.

[B]LP,[/B] I hope you know we want to see pics of your suet cakes once you've made them. :thumbs up

And of any birds that might be partaking of them :D

[QUOTE=rainbow;869142][B]LP,[/B] I hope you know we want to see pics of your suet cakes once you've made them. :thumbs up[/QUOTE]

For sure. Bendyfoot's project, and the Blue Jays and Cardinals we see here, really inspired me :goodvibes:.

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;869155]And of any birds that might be partaking of them :D[/QUOTE]

If I can sneak up close enough. The wooded area is pretty far from the house with just my camera so not sure if I can take them from the window or deck. But I sure will try :thumbs up.

[B]DH[/B] says "good luck! If it turns out anything like your cooking....."

He's so mean :yell:.

Fer sumone who can't scratch behind his ear properly, he's got a lot of noive gripin' 'bout yer cookin'! :frustrated:

:laughing:

Yeah, that :D.

Or he's been tasting the poison :rolleyes:.

:laughing:

I won't ask for details. :p

And I can't give them...it may implicate me in court :D.

:laughing:

Ah, but there's always a comfy spot available in the Hazel Run Prison if you need one. :D

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;869169]Fer sumone who can't scratch behind his ear properly, he's got a lot of noive gripin' 'bout yer cookin'! :frustrated:

:laughing:[/QUOTE]

Maybe you should mix in a bit of tripe with his next meal if he thinks your cooking is so bad. :D

:laughing: :laugh:


:eeew:

:laugh:

[QUOTE=hazelrunpack;869195]:laughing:

Ah, but there's always a comfy spot available in the Hazel Run Prison if you need one. :D[/QUOTE]

:cloud9: :goodvibes: :lovestruck: :cloud9: Thanks for the offer Hazel :D!

[QUOTE=rainbow;869197]Maybe you should mix in a bit of tripe with his next meal if he thinks your cooking is so bad. :D[/QUOTE]

Only if I want him to leave for good.

Wait :lightbulb:...

Thank you Rainbow, I can always count on you for good ideas :grouphug: :goodvibes:.

:laughing:

:laughing:

[QUOTE=luckypenny;869213]
Only if I want him to leave for good.

Wait :lightbulb:...

Thank you Rainbow, I can always count on you for good ideas :grouphug: :goodvibes:.

:laughing:[/QUOTE]


:laughing:

But dh would never leave you cuz he wuvs you bunches. :D

[QUOTE=rainbow;869221]But dh would never leave you cuz he wuvs you bunches. :D[/QUOTE]

Darn it :frustrated:.


Just kidding...I kinda like the jerk too :laughing:.

Yep, it's like ya can't live with them and ya can't live without them. :rolleyes: