Homemade Suet Cakes

 Cultivating Creativity - Homemade Suet Cakes

We had one of our "4H families" raise an extra hog for us this year.  When it was processed recently, I asked for some of the fat for making suet cakes.  

It's very easy to do.  We had some peanut butter powder that was expired so I added that in for flavor.  Start by melting your fat in a kettle.  When you do this, pieces of meat called "cracklings" will also fry out.  All you need do is drain that off.  When my mom was little, she said that the ate crackling sandwiches.  I'm sure that may be good, but my chickens are getting these (wink, wink).

Mix the peanut butter powder and birdseed, slowly add in the strained pork fat.  Stir together until well mixed and pour into pans for cooling.  Once hard enough, cut into squares roughly the size of a suet feeder.  I wrapped mine in foil and stored them in a container, as I don't want other critters to eat them.  

Nothing goes to waste here, cracklings for the chickens.

The weather forecast in Wisconsin this week is all in the negative range with double digits in wind chill.  The chickens could use an extra boost of protein and fat.  

Using everything is something I feel convicted about in herdsmanship and as a homesteader.  If you raise it, kill it, use it.  

Blessings from Ringle, Wisconsin.