sparrowpost

According to some, the tradition of giving gifts at the time of the Winter Solstice has a practical subtext. Because winters were so grueling, sharing one’s wealth across the community in the form of gift-giving and potlach was a way to ensure community survival, and also a way to encourage reciprocal generosity in times of scarcity. In many traditions, gifts are not only given to the human community at this time, but also to the natural world, and specifically to birds.

I’ve always been concerned about feeding birds myself… both because I’m afraid of fellow-travelers (rats, roaches, etc.), and also because I’ve always assumed it was better for birds to be able to find what they needed out in the world, since their food source reciprocally aids plants in their pollination/ dissemination. My mother-in-law has converted me recently, though. She is a dedicated bird enthusiast, and has helped me conduct some inquiries into whether feeding birds is bad for the health of bird/plant symbiotic ecosystem. Wisdom of those who know birds seems to suggest that feeding birds is not especially problematic, since most will only use the freebies to supplement their standard foraging. Birds, apparently, do not overeat, nor will they suddenly starve if you forget to fill the bird feeder.

With these fears dispelled, I’ve also taken up the bird-feeding hobby. The symbolism of giving a gift to the birds at this time of year is particularly satisfying. So here is a solstice recipe for suet.

Suet is basically a bird granola bar, and the process of making it is not unlike the process of making a granola bar or oatmeal cookie. One of the benefits of the suet-making process is that you can throw in lots of expiring or not particularly fresh dried fruits and nuts, so it’s a good pantry cleaner. Another benefit is that suet sticks together, and is therefore less messy than a standard feeder where they seed flies everywhere. My thanks to my mother-in-law, Ginny Rice for the recipe and demonstration!

Making suet:

My mother-in-law has a little square cage that holds squares of suet. She makes the suet in a square shape by putting it in little paper molds that she has made of stapled paper. You can make suet in any shape by the same principle. You could also roll pinecones etc. in the suet if you don’t have a dispenser.

1) Prepare molds by lining with plastic wrap or other plastic.
2) Mix 1/2 pckage lard (manteca) and 1/2 an 18 oz jar of cheap peanut butter. Apparently, peanut butter is a big attractor of squirrels, so if you have a squirrel problem, best to use less.
3) Add in stale things you may have around the house. Good candidates include stale breakfast cereal, nuts and dried fruit.
4) Add in 1/2 cup oats and 1/2 cup cormeal. Mix well. Mixture should be like a dry cookie batter.
5) Spoon mixture into molds, and pat into shape using plastic wrap.
6) Freeze for half an hour to an hour. You can keep suet you will not use immediately in the freezer this way. After half an hour, you can remove the suet you want to use and place it in your suet dispenser.