How to Make Bird Suet

Credit: Carolyn Jones

Providing a winter treat high in fat and calories is an excellent way to give birds the extra energy they need to get through cool days and downright cold nights.

Suet is simply the rendered fat that remains after cooking high-fat meat. To make an extra-tasty and nutritious treat, mix in such items as peanut butter, sunflower seeds and dried fruit, all of which add important vitamins, minerals and calcium. The ratio I use is 2 parts suet to 1 part dry ingredients. The more variety in your suet, the more types of birds it will attract.

Place the suet out as soon as food becomes scarce in your yard; the birds will move on as soon as this happens, so don’t give them a reason to leave. And keep in mind that once you start to feed the birds, they will depend on you, so be sure to continue right through the winter. Sheena’s Best Suet • 4 cups (1 L) rendered fat from unsalted meat • 2 teaspoons (10 mL) peanut butter • 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) multi-grain breadcrumbs • 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) sunflower seeds • 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) millet • 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) dried cranberries • 1⁄2 cup (125 mL) dried chopped apple • 4 eggshells, rinsed, dried and cracked fine Melt fat and peanut butter over low heat until liquefied. Add breadcrumbs, sunflower seeds, millet, cranberries, apple and eggshells. Remove from heat and gently stir. Allow to cool, then pour into plastic containers (small sour-cream containers or the plastic trays from takeout sushi are ideal). Refrigerate until solid, then simply tip upside down; the suet will pop out of the plastic with a little push. (You can store it for up to two weeks before using.) Place on a raised platform or purchase a suet cage so you can hang it high in a tree. Then, sit back and watch the parade of birds your suet will attract.