Suet's the Big Deal?
8 cardinals, a junco, and a bluebird--just a small part of the morning crowd.Somebody told the cardinals, who told the bluebirds that there was really good stuff on our front porch. I think it was the juncos who spilled the beans. Today started out dark and dreary, but the front porch was hoppin'!
Every winter is different. Last winter we had eight bluebirds and no more than five cardinals who developed a taste for suet dough. This winter I have trouble counting all the cardinals. It's spectacular. They all listen and watch for the door to pop open at about 8 AM, and practically run into me in their haste to gobble this delectable stuff.Here,the song sparrow who's trying out his songs under the bedrom window every morning is joining the fun.
I multiply the recipe (1 cup peanut butter, 1 cup lard, 2 cups quick oats, 2 cups yellow cornmeal, 1 cup flour) times six every time I make it. So it takes a 40-oz. jar of peanut butter, plus an additional cup, about a third of a large bucket of lard, 12 cups of oats. I always wonder if people look at me buying two large buckets of lard every time I go to the store and scratch their heads. It makes a jarring contrast to the arugala and sprouts, that's for sure. Roger Peterson used to go in the Old Lyme CT A&P and buy a half-dozen bags of Cheetos. He'd throw them in the water off the Old Saybrook causeway, hoping to lure black-headed gulls in close enough to photograph. Same thing. He said he got weird looks, too.
The kids both like to help me measure and add the dry ingredients, but everybody disappears when it's time to stir it all together. It takes a lot of strength to mix it as it's setting up, and we've broken a couple of wooden spoons trying. I've got my drill down and can get the big batch done in under an hour now. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to make so much, but then I look out the window and realize that it's not much effort for the beauty it brings to our doorstep.
posted by Julie Zickefoose @ 9:50 PM
9 comments
9 Comments:
Julie-
That is a "tasty" suet recipe! It goes much faster when you melt the lard and peanut butter in the microwave. I can whip up a batch in 5 minutes. CBH
you must have a huuuuge microwave, Cheryl! No, seriously: Great idea, never thought of it.
My most recent innovation is figuring out that a 40 oz jar of peanut butter holds five cups. Then I pack lard into the same jar to measure it. If there's anything more tedious than measuring peanut butter and lard cup by cup I haven't found it. Much easier just to scrape out the whole jar.
When I try to get away by estimating amounts, the batch is always messed up.
Julie - I have 2 words - drill press. Whenever Ann and I have a particularly viscous mix to stir, we just chuck up the appropriate stirrer in the drill press. A 1 HP motor takes all the work out of it. For lesser jobs you can always chuck a paddle or beater in an electric drill.
Dave
Julie, I can't believe you just wrote about this, because I just found your recipe for this on BWD web page and made it just this last weekend too. So far the squirrels love it, but we will wait and see who finds it. I plan to give some to your Aunt Marjorie to put out too. Thanks!
Kathy Braga
I made a double batch on Saturday and my family was bummed that the yummy smells coming out of the kitchen weren't for THEM! So far, though, the only critter eating the suet was my big fat lard butt DOG, who hauled his overweight, garbage-eating carcass up ON TOP of a picnic table to gobble up the contents of the bird platter.....he DOES so love peanut butter, and the lard just makes it yummier!
Lori S
Julie: I haven't had such good luck with the suet dough recipe. I made a double batch right after you posted the recipe the first time. (I added raisins and "craisins" to mine.) Unfortunately, all it has attracted so far is starlings. I work so hard at keeping them out of my habitat, too. I am still trying to find something to feed my bluebirds in the winter. Can't even get them to take mealworms.
Oh, Lori - my dogs, too like to scrunge the suet dough crumbs that fall to the ground under the feeder. The peanut butter, cornmeal and oats aren't so bad for them, but a large meal of suet can cause GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea) or, worse, pancreatitis, so watch out for your dog.
Kathi, aka KatDoc (yes, I'm a vet)
Wow, a suet dough confab. Kathi, thanks for writing with the warning about suet and pancreatitis in dogs. Chet hates the stuff and will walk right by the dough I throw out on the ground for the juncoes, so there's much to be thankful for there. He is the Perfect Dog. Lori, my condolences! Most dogs would gobble it up.
With any new food, it's not realistic to hope for immediate acceptance. Birds are pretty neophobic. Here's what I do for naive bluebirds: I duct-tape a red p.b. jar lid to the top of a box they like to roost or play in, and put live mealworms in that. When they get the idea that the red lid means food, you can move that lid anywhere! Once they're hooked on mealworms, I start cutting their rations. Figure 8 worms/bird for a hefty serving. Feed that for awhile, then cut that number in half, and start mixing suet dough in with the worms. They'll ingest some in the rush to gobble the worms, realize it tastes pretty good, and before long you can forget the worms and just use suet dough. But key to getting them to accept anything is to put it where you know they can't miss it!
I am glad you said something about the dog eatting the fat LARD MY DOG 10 YEARS OLD had herself a nice tub of lard that i had thrown out from a fish fry, so i knew it was mostly full. two days later she looked like she was half dead. she threw up everything and i thought all the rest would go the other way out. but she became dehydrated fast and now has been in the er for three days and nites(she weights 103 lb. ) this is deadly like a rich pan of brownies... she does have pancriatits and i hope she will recover, she was up on her fours today and did keep some food down. but is pretty bad off. her breathing became very heavy and irrregular, quiet scary. she is in the er and in good hands we will see what tomarrow brings. be careful. its not worth allwe are going through if yu can prevent this. patty and gracie-
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