Homemade Winter Suet for Birds

These are the two suet patties I made this evening

 

Homemade Winter Suet for Birds
 

 A couple of weeks a go I started saving my leftover grease anytime we fried meat.  When the meat was finished cooking, I'd strain the meat and place the drippings in a glass mason jar.  I did this because I knew I could make some great homemade suet for the Downy Woodpeckers and other birds on the property.  All I had to do was get about a cups worth of grease/meat drippings and add a couple cups of bird seed.  Mix them together and place in saved backings from store bought suet.

Homemade Winter Suet Recipe:

1 Cup Grease/Meat Drippings (beef and bacon work the best)
2 Cups of Mixed Birdseed
2 Leftover Suet backings (or other small, square container)

Save your grease drippings till you have approx. 1 cup of solid grease.  Place mason jar of drippings in microwave for 20 seconds and pour in a bowl.  Add 2 cups of birdseed mix and stir well.  Place mixture in leftover suet packages that you previously bought and used from the store or find a small , rectangular plastic container.  Place suet in freezer or garage if it is winter out.  Keep it someplace cold so the grease doesn't melt.  Use when solid.

Birds love the high energy they get from the meat drippings.  In the winter time it can sometimes be hard to find worms and other insects that provide them with nutrition.  This is an excellent alternative for them and a great way for you to recycle and reuse your leftover suet backings from the store and your grease drippings!