Suet Recipes

Advertisement

The following suet recipe was sent to me by Connie Dunthorn. Thank you Connie for taking the time to share this recipe with everyone.

10 pounds beef suet
5 pounds woodpecker mix
1 jar peanut butter (any size)
1 package cranberries (in season)

Heat suet in large pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and pour into mold such as a lasagna pan or similar container. Place in freezer for about 1 hour then cut into pieces to fit your suet holder.

NOTE: You can also add crushed rodent block and monkey chow for extra nutritional value.

The following "Sciuriously Good Muffins" suet recipe was sent in by Susan Saliga. Thank you Susan for sharing this recipe with everyone.

This should only be put out when the daytime temperatures are 70 degrees or below unless there is a LOT of squirrel traffic as the cakes will get mushy. Also note that there are no corn products added to this recipe as most people do put out corn in their yard and this recipe helps to add variety and nutrition to their diet.

Variations and suggestions for using this recipe are listed after the recipe.

Approx. 1 lb. raw suet
1- 2 TBSP walnut oil
2 TBSP rodent block (smashed up with a mallet until it is more like a powder)
1 TBSP smashed up monkey chow (optional)
2/3 cup - 1cup of any of the following or a mix of any of these chopped or chunks: walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, acorns
1/2 cup black oil sunflower seeds (can use unshelled and chipped, but they don't seem to like them as well)
Approx. 1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth, but can use chunky also - you may have to add a little bit more if you're using chunky style).  When you can the smell peanut butter more than the suet, it's fine.
1 package of paper cupcake cups

Melt the suet slowly over low to medium heat.
Add walnut oil to the suet while melting (optional).
Smash up a few pieces of rodent block until powdery with some small chunks in it.
Smash up a couple pieces of monkey chow (optional).
In a heat safe bowl , mix the rodent block, monkey chow and chopped up or broken pieces of nuts.
Stir in peanut butter and mix.
Pour suet in as it melts and add some sunflower seeds.
Stir well. I also add the "crumbs" from the nuts.
Repeat until all suet is used up without getting too brown (if you burn the suet, you won't get the smell out of your house and all its inhabitants for days; and the squirrels don't like it "well done").
You can mix in a little more peanut butter if necessary.

Pour into paper cupcake cups set up on a plate or tray until they are about 1/3 full.  Let set a little.
Add a small piece of uncolored string into each cup if you want to hang them.
You can push in a small chunk or two of rodent block and some more nuts into each cupcake.
Fill with remaining mixture and push each "cupcake" into a mixture of the rest of the seeds and nut crumbs.
Place the plate of cupcakes into the freezer.  Once frozen, you can remove the paper and store the cupcakes in a baggie or container in the freezer until you are ready to use them.

This recipe will yield about 10 - 12 cakes.

Let your imagination and the seasons be your guide, but be mindful of what they eat in the wild - in other words, no junk food.

In the fall, the squirrels here seem to enjoy apple bits added into the mix. Have fun and be creative!

You can try "mock dipped pretzels" by coating a nice hickory or oak branch with a less chunky suet variety.

You can insert a short piece of branch for a handle like a lollipop, stuff pinecones with it, or whatever other ideas you come up with.

When I'm really tired, I just roll it in balls like cooky dough and toss them out.

Chickadees really like them as well, especially if you add some pistachios.  For a "birdy" version, you can eliminate rodent block, monkey chow, and walnut oil.  I also use less peanut butter, smaller pieces of nut, egg shells if I have them, and sunflower chips and a few oil sunflower seeds.

They are less attractive to the squirrels and keeps them at peace with the birdfeeders.  I also TRY to hang these out of reach, but sometimes the squirrels just hoist up the string and eat them anyway if they're really hungry and the weather is bad.  That's OK too.

I usually mix any leftover ingredients in the pot including the fat chunks and toss them out for the other critters that wander through.  The stuff always disappears at nite.  My rehab red squirrels really like Portabella mushrooms.  If you have reds, you can try putting some mushroom pieces in.

I'd be curious to know what the results are.  Unfortunately we don't have reds in our yard, and don't get many red squirrel babies in.

Enjoy watching the action at the squirrel cupcake buffet and let me know if you have any questions!

2 Parts Vegetable Shortening or Lard
1 Part Peanut Butter
1 Part Cornmeal
1 Part Sunflower Seed, Peanut Hearts or Chopped Nuts

Mix well and place in suet feeder. Best if used in winter months. Refrigerate unused portion. If using during the summer months, place out only what they will eat in one day. May also place the suet on a platform feeder or where ever your squirrels like to come and get their treats.

If you know of any other recipes, please send them to me and I will post them here.

- Advertisement -