How To Melt Suet Food
RENDERING BEEF FAT FOR SUET CAKES AND CONES (BIRD FOOD)
My husband and I are bird lovers, and are always looking for ways to bring them closer to us. Suet is essential for winter survival, as it provides heat and energy for their little bodies. I've recently read several articles on how to render beef fat for making your own suet cakes. Although they aren't expensive to buy, it's always rewarding to make something yourself. The best base for the cakes is fat rendered from beef suet. The heating process not only eliminates impurities, but it becomes harder with each 'melting/cooling' process. This will give you a finished product that can withstand higher outdoor temperature (if hung in shade). Many bird food recipes I've read mention using only peanut butter, lard or shortening as a base for the cakes. These however, will soften and go rancid faster. In addition to suet 'cakes', you can also load pine cones with warm suet and roll in seeds. What a great gift for your 'bird loving friends'. Suet is fat that is located around the kidneys. It is not the same as fat bits that are trimmed from cuts of meat. Notes: - 2 lbs of raw suet will yield approximately 12 cups of fat. - Purchased suet cakes measure 4-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 1-1/4" thick. Save your 250ml dairy containers (sour cream, cottage cheese etc) to use as molds. They are also 4-1/2" in diameter. - Drill 1-1/2" holes in logs and fill with the suet/seed mixture. - Raw suet cuts much easier when frozen. - My yield from 12 cups of fat - 14 cakes, 12 cones - Yields will vary with the amount of seed, and molds used. - Please ignore the indicated number of servings. :)
Provided by Diana 2
Categories < 60 Mins
Time 40m
Yield 12 cups rendered fat, 1 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Using a large knife, cut the frozen raw suet into chunks.
- Place about 2 cups of these chunks into a heatproof (glass or ceramic) container. Cover with a lid or dinner plate and microwave on HIGH for 5 - 8 minutes.
- Pour or strain the liquid fat into another heatproof container (I use glass measuring cups) and set aside.
- Continue until all the raw suet has been processed. Discard what is left of the 'chunks'. You now have several containers of rendered fat. Easy, isn't it.
- At this point, you can proceed with making the 'cakes' or refrigerate the fat for another time.
- To make Cakes and Cones:.
- Use lengths of thin wire or string to make a hanger for the cones. Starting at the base of the cone, weave the wire around the cone towards the top. Leave enough to form a loop, then weave back down to the base. Tie to secure.
- Melt the specified amount of rendered fat in the microwave.
- As the fat begins to cool, it will become cloudy and thicken. It is at this point that you can add the remaining ingredients and press into the molds or pine cones.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- When they have hardened, unmold and wrap the cakes/cones in waxed paper. These can now be stored indefinitely in the freezer.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 17823.9, Fat 1922, SaturatedFat 960.7, Cholesterol 1623, Sodium 708.9, Carbohydrate 85.6, Fiber 19.4, Sugar 36.5, Protein 68.7
NO-MELT SUET (FOR BIRDS)
Don't put suet out in high summer temperatures, it can spoil and melt, coating feathers. This is a tried and true suet recipe that I found in Birds and Blooms Extra, contributed by Virginia Barnard. She explains that it works very well in Oklahoma's high summer temperatures. We live in Wisconsin, where it obviously isn't quite as hot, but it has held up here, even in direct sun. The squirrels like it too, but now that we're offering other food for them, a little ways away, they aren't bothering it as much as they were at first. The recipe is written for lard, but I used saved bacon grease and it has worked fine. The next time I make it, I'm going to experiment with less or none of the sugar, as it doesn't seem necessary. But, I guess maybe the birds could have a little sweet tooth, too! Note: yield is approximate. I doubled the batch last time I made it, and filled 2 quart ziplock containers after putting some in a feeder, so I'm not exactly sure how much I started out with.
Provided by SrtaMaestra
Categories < 15 Mins
Time 10m
Yield 5 cups
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Melt the lard and peanut butter together, either on the stove or in the microwave.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the melted fats.
- The original recipe suggests pouring into a square pan about 2 inches deep, or spreading onto tree limbs. I just put it into ziplock containers and scoop it out as needed to fill a screen type of feeder (See photos). I use my cookie scoop to take it out, but then mash and break up the scoops, because otherwise the squirrels can come and take a whole scoop at once, way too easily! I don't know if it would hold up well in cake form, as I haven't tried that, but it defintely doesn't melt or make a gloppy mess.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 973.7, Fat 70.7, SaturatedFat 20.9, Cholesterol 39.2, Sodium 331.7, Carbohydrate 70.6, Fiber 11, Sugar 5, Protein 20.6
More about "how to melt suet food"
5 HOMEMADE SUET RECIPES FOR FEEDING BIRDS
From birdsandblooms.com
Author Hannah HoltzEstimated Reading Time 4 mins
SUET FEEDER TIPS FOR BACKYARD BIRDING - THE …
From thespruce.com
THE DOS AND DON'TS OF OFFERING SUET TO BIRDS
From perkypet.com
MAKE YOUR OWN SUET | AUDUBON
From audubon.org
HOW TO MAKE BIRD SUET THAT WON'T MELT: 7 …
From wikihow.com
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE BIRD SUET: 6 RECIPE IDEAS - THE …
HOMEMADE PEANUT BUTTER SUET FOR BIRDS (EASY RECIPE) - EMPRESS …
From empressofdirt.net
NO MELT SUET CAKES FOR BIRDS - THE MAKE YOUR OWN ZONE
From themakeyourownzone.com
8 COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT SUET FOR BIRDS - BIRDS AND BLOOMS
From birdsandblooms.com
12 BEST SUET CAKES FOR BIRDS (NO-MELT & NO-SQUIRRELS)
From worldbirds.com
HOW TO MAKE NO-MELT SUET - MORE BIRDS
From perkypet.com
SUET FOR BIRDS: HOMEMADE SUET RECIPES | THE OLD …
From almanac.com
HOW TO STORE WILD BIRD SEED, SUET CAKES, AND MEALWORMS
From marthastewart.com
TYPES OF SUET - BIRD SUET FLAVORS AND SHAPES - THE SPRUCE
From thespruce.com
HOW TO KEEP SUET CAKES FROM MELTING AND HOW TO MAKE YOUR …
From youtube.com
MELTING BEEF TALLOW | INHABITAT - GREEN DESIGN, INNOVATION ...
From inhabitat.com
HOW TO RENDER SUET: 10 STEPS (WITH PICTURES) - WIKIHOW LIFE
From wikihow.life
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love
