Pinecones with Peanut Butter and Bird Seed
Collect or buy 4-6 pinecones. Look for pinecones that are in one piece, fairly dry, and have lots of openings to press peanut butter into! Depending on where you live and what time of year it is, they may be easy to find on a nature walk. Otherwise, you can buy them at a craft store. If you collect your own pinecones, shake off and wipe away any excess dirt and debris. If the pinecones are damp, leave them in a dry, sunny place for 1-2 days to dry them out. If you buy pinecones, make sure they have not been coated or treated with any chemicals. Stick with all-natural pinecones.
Tie 2 ft (61 cm) lengths of string to the top of each pinecone. If the pinecone has a sturdy stem, simply knot the string around the stem. Otherwise, feed the string underneath the protruding scales of the pinecone (near the stem side) and tie it against the interior of the pinecone. If you use lengths of string shorter than this, it will be easier for squirrels to access the pinecones.
Cover your workspace with newspaper or wax paper. Adding peanut butter to the pinecones is a messy job! Also, it’s possible the pinecones might scratch up your work surface. This is a great activity for kids to help out with, but make sure you’re ready with cleanup supplies!
Slather each pinecone with a heavy coating of peanut butter. Use a small spatula or butter knife to press the peanut butter into all the gaps between the pinecone’s scales. Then, spread a thick coating of peanut butter over the entire surface of the pinecone. Don’t be shy here—really load it on! Creamy peanut butter works best here, but you could try working with chunky peanut butter.
Fill the bottom of a pie pan with a layer of your chosen bird seed. The entire bottom of the pan should be covered in a layer about 0.5–1 in (13–25 mm) deep. You can use any type of bagged bird seed you like. If you’re hoping to attract a specific type of bird, shop for a bird seed that is better suited for that bird type. You can also search online for recipes for making your own bird seed mix.
Roll each pinecone in the bird seed until the peanut butter is fully coated. Keep rolling the pinecone back and forth in the pie pan until bird seed is embedded in all of the exposed peanut butter. Add more bird seed to the pie pan if needed as you coat all the pinecones. Kids love this part of the job—just be ready to sweep up lots of spilled bird seed!
Hang the pinecones right away, or freeze them for later use. Take the coated pinecones outside and hang them from tree branches or your gutters. It won’t take long for the birds to show up! If you don’t want to put the pinecones out right away, line a baking sheet with wax paper, lay the pinecones on it, and place the pan in the freezer. You can hang them outside straight from the freezer.
Use corn cobs or toilet paper tubes as pinecone alternatives. No pinecones? No problem! Try one of these: After serving corn on the cob, save the kernel-free cobs. Leave them in a dry, sunny spot for 1-2 days to dry out. Then, coat them with peanut butter and bird seed and hang them outside. When you finish a roll of toilet paper, save the tube. Poke a hole in it to tie a string, then coat it with peanut butter and bird seed. Or, coat it with the peanut butter and bird seed and just slide the tube over the tip of a tree branch!
Peanut Butter and Bird Seed Suet
Stir together 1 cup (240 g) of peanut butter and 2 cups (480 g) of bird seed. You can use either creamy or chunky peanut butter, and any type of commercial or homemade bird seed mix you prefer. Use a spoon or spatula to stir the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. If you’re using especially thick peanut butter, put it in the microwave for 10-second increments until it softens up a little. While “suet” technically refers to a specific type of beef fat (that was traditionally used in bird feed cakes), any bird feed cake that combines fats and seeds is usually called suet.
Add the mixture to a serving plate for the quickest option. Poke holes at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock into a sturdy disposable dinner plate. Cut 4 pieces of string to 2 ft (61 cm) lengths. Tie an end of each string to the plate, and tie the other ends of all 4 together above the plate. Spread ⅓ to ½ of the suet mixture in the center of the plate. Hang the plate by its connected strings on a tree branch. Make 1-2 more serving plates for the remainder of the suet mixture.
Shape and freeze the suet mix if you want to make suet cakes instead. Place the mixture on a sheet pan covered with wax paper. Use a spatula or your hands to shape the suet mix into one or more rectangles that will fit into your suet cage. Pop the tray into the freezer for 12-24 hours, or until the suet cake is frozen solid. A suet cage is a rectangular wire cage with a chain attached for hanging on tree branches. You can get one at any retailer that sells bird seed.
Place the frozen suet cake in your suet cage and hang it outside. Peel the frozen block of suet from the wax paper, then open the suet cage and place it inside. Close up the suet cage and hang it from a tree branch or your gutter. Your neighborhood birds will thank you! Don't try to keep squirrels away because that is cruel. Keeping squirrels away removes their liberty to eat there. If you still don't understand it, think of it this way: You wouldn't want to be the only person not allowed to eat at a certain restaurant, would you?
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