Suet

[fishermusk]

Suet is getting pretty expensive at the stores. I figured I could make my own. I was thinking of rendering some beef fat and adding some peanut butter and adding some seeds. Could it be that easy.

[DonBo]

It is that easy. I know several people who do this with deer fat. They add all kinds of things from seeds and nuts to fruit and berries.

[Steve Foss]

Yep, DonBo's right. I used to render my own suet all the time. We used to just toss the beef/chicken//pork/vennie pre-cooked trimmings into an ice cream pail in the freezer and when it was full we'd render suet. We only ever just added some mixed bird seed.

The more seed you add the easier it will be for the suet cake to crumble. Our suet feeder is just that square wire cage you see in all the Menard's and WalMart stores, the size they sell the pre-packaged cakes for. So we bought a case of the cakes, and when they were used up we kept the plastic tins and used them to pour the rendered suet into.

Good idea to let the suet cool to the point you can still pour it but it's not as hot as it had been so you don't melt the plastic containers.

I'm thinking we're going to have to start doing that again. Looking like a tough winter ahead, and we may not even put out seed this winter to save $. There were a few times last winter that so many birds were eating at the feeders I could have sworn I saw them gobbling down $20 bills.

[fishermusk]

Thanks Guys.

[Jim Almquist]

Here is a recipe I found from another source.

lard

crunchy peanut butter

sunflower chips

plain yellow cornmeal

I take equal parts of lard and chunky peanut butter, place in a boiler and on LOW heat, let it melt.

Add sunflower chips, (and more peanuts if you want)

Add plain yellow cornmeal until it takes up the oil/grease from the lard and peanut butter. The mixture will be really thick.

You can pretty much customize this recipe....I've added rolled oats, raisins, and cherrios to this mixture before.

I fill the little plastic containers that suet comes in when you buy it from walmart, and store it in the fridge.

During the winter you won't have to add as much cornmeal, but in the summer, the cornmeal keeps it from melting

[fishermusk]

I will try your recipe Jim.

Thanks

[Jim Almquist]

Its not mine but it is the one I will use this winter.

[micpic]

Everybody uses a little different combination, but they all are better than the stuff you buy from the stores. At least that's what my birds say!

mike

[DonBo]

"My" birds prefer the raw fat (tallow) cut right from the deer over store bought suet cakes. I've never actually tried to render my own, though the chunky peanutbutter sure sounds good to me.