Making homemade suet is an easy and affordable way to provide nutrition for wild birds during the winter months when natural food sources are scarce. Suet is traditionally made by rendering and solidifying animal fats like beef or mutton. However, for those looking to avoid using animal products there are several excellent alternatives for making suet without lard.
In this article, we’ll explore popular ingredients to use in homemade “unsuet” recipes, provide tips for choosing quality ingredients, and give step-by-step instructions for making suet without lard.
Why Make Homemade Suet for Birds?
Suet is an energy-dense food source made up of saturated fats and nutrients It provides birds with the calories they need to maintain body heat and energy levels during cold winter months
Woodpeckers, nuthatches, chickadees, titmice, wrens, and other insect-eating birds rely on suet for up to half their winter diet. It supplements natural food sources like seeds, berries, and nuts which can be scarce in winter.
While you can purchase commercial suet cakes, making your own allows you to control the quality of ingredients. It also gives you the flexibility to customize recipes with nuts, seeds, fruit and peanut butter loved by your local birds.
Popular Ingredients for Lard-Free Suet Recipes
Here are some of the most popular ingredients used to make suet without lard:
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Peanut Butter – All-natural peanut butter, ideally just peanuts and salt, provides protein and healthy fats. It helps bind ingredients together.
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Birdseed – High quality birdseed mixes provide carbohydrates and protein. Black oil sunflower seeds are a favorite base.
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Grains – Whole grains like rice, wheat berries, millet, oats, and corn provide carbohydrates and fiber.
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Nuts – Shelled peanuts, almonds, pecans, walnuts add protein, fats, and flavor.
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Dried Fruit – Raisins, cranberries, cherries, etc. add natural sweetness.
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Cornmeal – Can help create texture and absorbing excess oil.
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Coconut Oil – An alternative fat source to lard. Makes the suet pliable.
Tips for Choosing Quality Ingredients
When it comes to ingredients for homemade suet, quality matters. Here are some tips:
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Select natural peanut butter with just peanuts and salt. Avoid sugars, preservatives, or other additives.
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Choose raw, human-grade nuts free of preservatives or coatings.
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Use all-natural dried fruit with no added sugars or preservatives.
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Look for organic, non-GMO grains and cornmeal.
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Pick a premium birdseed blend with black oil sunflower seeds, millet, nyjer, etc. Avoid fillers.
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Use unrefined coconut oil. Refined versions lose nutrients.
Checking the ingredient list can help identify quality products without unwanted additives. When possible, choose certified organic ingredients.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Suet Without Lard
Here is a simple step-by-step method for making suet at home using peanut butter and birdseed as the base ingredients:
Supplies Needed
- Mixing bowl
- Spoon for stirring
- Suet cage or mesh bag
- Birdseed (2 cups)
- Peanut butter (1 cup)
- Optionally: Nuts, dried fruit, cornmeal, coconut oil
Steps
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Add 2 cups of birdseed to a mixing bowl. Black oil sunflower seeds or a songbird blend works well.
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Measure out 1 cup of all-natural peanut butter. Crunchy or smooth style both work.
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Add peanut butter to the birdseed and thoroughly mix together until evenly incorporated.
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Optionally, you can add and mix in up to 1/4 cup each of shelled nuts, dried fruit, cornmeal, and/or coconut oil to boost nutrition and texture.
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Continue mixing thoroughly until the peanut butter evenly coats the ingredients. If needed, add small amounts of extra peanut butter so the mixture sticks together.
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Firmly pack the suet mixture into a suet cage or mesh bag. Smooth into a compact cake-like shape.
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Hang the filled suet cage outdoors in an area protected from rain. Place in trees or on a post near natural cover.
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Serve the suet to wild birds during the cold winter months when temperatures are below 40°F.
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Replenish the suet feeder as needed and clean periodically. Discard any old suet.
And that’s it! With just a few simple ingredients, you can make nutritious suet to help wild birds survive and thrive through harsh winters. Adjust recipes to include local favorites like fruit, nut butters, or coconut. Making your own suet is satisfying and benefits your backyard bird visitors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about making suet without lard:
What is a substitute for lard in bird suet?
True suet (or maybe true lard, though pork subcutaneous fat is often erroneously called “lard” – true lard also comes from the groin) is the only safe fat for birds. Make suets with true suet, millet and hulled sunflower seed, some oats, and peanut butter.
What can I use to stick bird seed together?
Empty 1 package of unflavored gelatin into a bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Let this sit for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup of boiling water to the gelatin, stirring for a few minutes or until the gelatin is dissolved. This is the binder that keeps seeds together.
How to make suet cake without lard?
Typically, fat cakes are made with suet (beef/mutton fat) or lard, but if you would like to make a vegetarian version you can use vegetable shortening (solid vegetable fat) such as Crisco or Trex.
How do I make my own suet?
To make your own suet I usually use lard melted with peanut butter. Then add cornmeal and a little flour to thicken it. Next add anything you might have in your cupboards; dried fruits, fresh fruits such as cranberries, apples, raisons, applesauce, oatmeal Throw in nuts of any kind, cocoanut, and some birdseed.
Can you make suet without lard?
It’s a simple way to make suet without lard and well-loved by various birds including woodpeckers and nuthatches. During outbreaks of the highly pathogenic diseases including avian influenza, it is strongly recommended to remove bird feeders and cease any hand-feeding. This may help reduce transmission rates amongst our wild bird populations.
How do you make a homemade suet?
Bird experts Kenn and Kimberly Kaufman suggest this DIY suet recipe. Melt 1 cup peanut butter and 1 cup lard over low heat. In a large bowl, mix 2 cups quick oats, 2 cups birdseed mix, 1 cup yellow cornmeal and 1 cup flour. Stir melted ingredients into the dry mix. Once cool, press into molds and refrigerate.
Is homemade suet a good bird food?
Homemade suet is traditionally a cold-weather bird food because the suet itself (the hard animal fat around the kidneys and loins of cows and sheep) can turn rancid if temperatures are above 70°F. If you live in a warm climate, we do not recommend using homemade suet because it will spoil too quickly.
Where can I find suet & lard?
Suet is usually beef fat that is trimmed off of meat. It is made from the kidney and other organs of the animal. You can find suet at almost any meat department at nearly any store. I get mine at the local Kroger, which is a chain store around here. No need for a specialty store. Lard is pig fat.
How do you freeze homemade suet?
Spoon into molds or pans and press to remove air. Freeze for at least an hour before use. Store extra homemade suet in the mold (wrapped or in plastic bags) or layered with wax paper until ready to use. You can also add some unsalted ground nuts to this mixture as well for an added bonus for your birds!
How do you store homemade suet?
Allow mixture to cool enough to transfer to molds. Place in freezer for a minimum of an hour – more if your blocks are thicker than one inch. Store extra homemade suet in the mold (wrapped or in plastic bags) or layered with wax paper until ready to use. * This is where you can be creative with your ingredients.
Making homemade suet for birds is easy, affordable, and rewarding. Follow these tips and recipes to whip up nutritious suet without lard that your feathered friends will love this winter. Experiment with ingredients and have fun making treats for your backyard birds.
Try These Homemade Suet Recipes!
Suet is the perfect bird food for winter when birds’ natural food sources start dwindling. Suet also attracts several bird species that rarely visit a seed feeder. Here are three simple recipes for homemade suet cakes.
Suet is a solidified mix of fats, which birds eat to stay warm in wintertime. They’re also helpful in early spring when the food supply is low, and many birds are building nests.
A basic suet cake combines equal parts of beef fat and assorted birdseed. You can get creative with the birdseed blend (sunflower seeds, for example!), as long as you use equal parts of it with the beef fat, lard, or natural peanut butter. Additionally, you may want to add some dried fruits to the mix to give your aviary guests a little extra treat. Raisins, currants, apricots, or citrons are all excellent choices that birds tend to love.
There are commercial suet cakes (about $2 or $3), which you drop into a “suet feeder” or a “suet cage.” They look similar to a wire cage, which discourages squirrels and suits suet-loving birds that often feed upside down (versus nuisance birds such as starlings and grackles).
If you wish to provide a tasty treat for your feathered friends, you can easily make suet at home with the following recipes. This way, you won’t have to purchase a specialized feeder. You can serve the suet by attaching it to pinecones or logs hanging from trees.
Suet Cake Recipe 2
- 1 pound melted fat (beef fat or lard)
- 1 cup millet
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup raisins