How to Make Homemade Bird Food Suet

How to Make Homemade Bird Food Suet. Bird food suet is made from the solid fat surrounding the kidneys of cows and sheep. This fat is removed and then rendered in order to make the suet more durable and less likely to become rancid in hot temperatures. While you may be able to purchase rendered suet from a butch or the meat counter of a grocery store, you can make your own at home using vegetable shortening or lard in place of the beef fat.

Things Needed

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup peanut butter
• Microwave safe bowl
• Microwave
• 1 cup flour
• Cornmeal
• Oatmeal
• Birdseed mix
• Dried fruit
• Sunflower seeds
• Baking pan
• Knife
• Mesh bag

Step 1

Mix 1 cup of vegetable shortening and 1 cup of peanut butter into a large, microwave-safe bowl.

Step 2

Microwave the mixture on high for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shortening is liquefied.

Step 3

Stir 1 cup of all-purpose flour into the melted vegetable shortening and peanut butter. Continue stirring until the mixture is one uniform color.

Step 4

Stir in up to 4 cups of dry ingredients such as cornmeal, oatmeal, birdseed mix, dried fruit or sunflower seeds. You may use one ingredient or a combination of several ingredients.

Step 5

Knead the mixture together by hand until it forms a dough the approximate consistency of cookie dough.

Step 6

Press the homemade suet into an 8-inch square baking pan. You should not need to grease the pan as the vegetable shortening will prevent the suet from sticking.

Step 7

Place the pan in a cool, dry spot and wait for the suet to cool completely.

Step 8

Cut the cool homemade bird food suet into chunks and hang them from trees in mesh bags or place them in suet bird feeders.

References

• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Suet, Mealworms, and Other Foods
• Indiana Department of Natural Resources: Wild About Woodpeckers
• Walter Reeves: How to Make Homemade Bird Suet