Homemade Suet Blocks

Cyril loves homemade suet blocks
Ghillie Suit Gardening – Homemade Suet BlocksSometimes I make my own suet blocks when I have time and the right ingredients. They’re very popular (especially with Cyril and the Littlies), but they do disappear frighteningly fast.Simple Homemade Suet Block RecipeIngredients (roughly fills 2–3 holders):

• 250–300g lard (or beef suet)
• Bird seed mix
• Peanut kibble (crushed a bit)
• Sunflower hearts
• Niger seeds (if you have them — they’re tiny so they get wasted otherwise)
• Mealworms (dried)
• Optional: a handful of chopped peanuts or oats

Method:

1. Melt the lard gently in the microwave (in short bursts so it doesn’t get too hot).
2. Let it cool slightly until it’s still runny but not scorching hot (you don’t want to cook the seeds/mealworms).
3. Stir in your dry ingredients until everything is well coated. The mix should be quite thick.
4. Spoon into your empty suet holders or disposable containers.
5. Leave to set completely (I usually put them in the fridge for an hour or so).
6. Hang them up and watch them vanish.

Top Tip:
The temperature of the melted lard is the tricky bit. Too hot and it can cook the additions. Too cool and it won’t mix properly. You’ll get the hang of it after a couple of tries.They’re definitely more effort than the shop-bought ones, but it’s a good way to use up odds and ends (especially tiny niger seeds that no one eats loose).Cyril approves. The Littlies approve. My washing-up bowl… not so much.

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