Frugal Suet, It's For The Birds

Do you have some rendered bacon, beef, or ham fat that you don't know what to do with? Seems like a waste, does it? Well, now you don't have to throw it away, you can feed it to your feathery friends!

Winter is the time of year we tend to indulge more than we should. We buy big roasts and gorge ourselves silly. Winter is also the time of year wild birds need more fat and protein in their diets, just produce enough warmth and energy to survive this brutal time.

We definitely don't appreciate winter fat, but your backyard birds will!

Ingredients for homemade suet:

• 3 Tbsp cold, rendered bacon,beef, or ham fat. (after the roast sits overnight in the fridge, the rendered fat will be hardened and perfect for use)
• 3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1 Tbsp wild bird seed

Mix thoroughly together and put in a freezable container, something will fit the shape and size of your suet feeder. (I used a small Tupperware container). Freeze overnight. Unmold the suet and put in the suet feeder.

Birds that really enjoy suet:

• Woodpeckers
• Nuthatches
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse.

Making your own suet is cheap, easy, better for the environment (none of the throw away packaging of store-bought suet!) and best of all, you are attracting more wild birds to your yard and helping them get through the winter.