We feed the birds here at the Castle. So when I saw my friend Donna post an article on Facebook about making homemade suet cakes I knew I wanted to make some! Birds help our world in many ways – pollination and controlling insects etc. , so I love feeding them in the winter when food is scarce.
After quickly reading the post I knew I had all of the supplies to make some and I couldn’t wait to get started.
Supplies
4 cups premium bird Seeds blend of your choice.
1 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 lb. suet, lard or shortening like Crisco All Vegetable Shortening
Parchment paper
Shallow sheet pan
Step One: Melt Mixture
Add your peanut butter and shortening ( I used Crisco) into a sauce pan and melt over low heat.
Stir occasionally until the mixture is all melted together.
Step two: Add In The Seeds
Once the peanut butter and shortening have melted together, remove pan from heat.
In a large bowl, add 4 cups of bird seed.
Pour the melted peanut butter mixture over the birdseed.
Mix until everything is well combined.
Step Three: Freeze The Suet
Line a shallow baking pan with parchment paper.
Spoon the mixture into the pan and spread evenly.
Place in the freezer until everything is completely frozen.
Step Four: Cut The Suet
Once the mixture is frozen, carefully pull the parchment paper off and lift the frozen blend out of the baking dish.
Cut the suet down into individual cakes that are the correct size to fit into your suet feeder.
Tip: I stored the extra suet in freezer bags and placed them back into my fridge.
Step Five: Feed The Birds
Place the suet cakes into the suet feeder and hang from a tree in your garden.
No trees?
I hang mine on a shepard’s hook.
Homemade suet cakes are super easy to make and are a fun project for all ages.
It would make a perfect winter project for children with a little adult supervision!
Plus, it will sure make the birds happy.
Until next time…
Tammy
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