I've been making this for a few years and it really brings in the birds. The greatest fans of this stuff seem to be mockingbirds, woodpeckers, blue jays, and grackles, but I've had warblers, titmice, and cardinals have a nibble as well. The best way to serve this is in a tray feeder, I like to use the dishes for parrots that will hang onto something and I put them on the fence. You could also use a suet basket, but you need to make a stiff "dough". 1 part fat, it needs to be a solid fat like lard, rendered suet, bacon grease, beef grease. This sounds horrible, but it is quite good for the birds. 1/2 c. peanut butter, crunchy or smooth a bit of honey or molasses (optional) Raisins (optional, but enjoyed by mockingbirds) Tiny scraps of meat, bacon crumbles,(optional) various culinary seeds (I put some sesame seeds, flax seeds, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds) ground cornmeal, this amount varies keep adding until it forms a stiff dough You mix this together, and a pastry blender makes quick work of it, until a nice stiff dough forms. You don't want it sticky. I store this in a ziploc bag in the fridge and take out what I need. The birds will come over as soon as they see me with the ziploc bag. If you plan to put it in a suet cage, make sure you use fat that stays very solid at room temp and avoid putting it right in the sun.
Thanks for the recipe Anna. I've never thought to use peanut butter in my bird cakes as I usually just put peanuts into my mixture. I'll remedy that the next time I make them. :-D
Thanks so much for the recipe, I have suet cages that I keep refilling with store bought blocks. The birds go crazy for them which means they have to be refilled very often. This will be so much easier than running to the store every few days.
Toni, that was my problem too, they are so piggy! My birds seem to like this better, I put out smaller amounts to keep it fresher. They go through about a large handful a day from each of the feeders. Eileen, the peanut butter is the ingredient that really makes them crazy. I also think they can smell it from far off (I know I can!). Squirrels also like it, but I don't think it is very good for them. Mine seem to realize that it's rich so they don't eat a whole lot of it....good for their cholesterol, I'm sure!
Anna my husband, Ian, is wondering why I've suddenly added peanut butter to our shopping list as he knows I detest the stuff. He already thinks the birds are better fed than he is.
My husband feels the same way! I buy the black sunflower seeds and then mix it with some wild bird seed. I buy peanuts for the jays and squirrels. I put apples out for the woodpeckers. I make hummingbird nectar and bird "dough". I also give the birds catfood...they really like it!
Daff, I don't know if your blackbirds are like my grackles.....both are black, I'm sure, my grackles really go wild for it, so I imagine your blackbirds will too.
Yes, this stuff is very messy! If you have a pastry blender or food processor it could help. The good thing is that between the fat, peanut butter, and corn meal it is like a good hand scrub...softens and removes dead skin!
