Take a plastic plate or the lid of a plastic box to make a tray-style feeder. Make four evenly spaced holes around the edge, thread through four equal lengths of twine or string and tie together at the top so that the tray is suspended horizontally. Knot the ends of the twine together over a branch. Sprinkle the tray with bird seed. Seeded apples Vegetable oil is great for deep frying because it has a high smoke point. So if you are asked to fry something in suet, you can use vegetable oil instead and it will yield you the same results. 8. Xanthan Gum I’ll type up the ingredients for the recipes and the contents of the book in the coming weeks – this book has a special Christmas Fare section in the middle – an extra insert printed in full colour and giving Christmas Atora Suet Recipes! Now mix it all up – you can do this by spooning it around, or by fixing the lid on (securely) and giving it all a good shake.

Self-raising flour. Or plain flour with bicarbonate of soda. Plain flour in the UK is known as all purpose flour in the US. Any one of these choices will work equally. We present in this booklet a varied selection of all that is best in suet cookery. This is one branch of the culinary art that is essentially British – it suits our climate and our way of life – and perhaps that is why many succeeding generations have shown such singular adaptability in evolving the numerous delightful recipes now available to us.

Atora Suet Dumplings

Use an empty plastic drinks bottle to make a loose seed feeder. Make a couple of small holes in the bottom, to allow any water to drain. Use the drill, a heated metal skewer, or twist away with a pointy-ended implement. You can find vegetable shortening in all supermarkets and it’s easily accessible and can be used for a range of recipes. Vegetable shortening is one of the best substitutes for suet. Children may like to start a bird book, keeping a record of the species they see – and don’t forget the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch every January, when you note the birds that visit your garden (or park or other open space) and send your results to the RSPB. I’ve rarely got the need to make huge quantities of suet dumplings, and measuring out enough mix, each time, is a bit of a nuisance, so I’ve always made my own suet dumpling mix – ready in the cupboard to simply spoon out on demand.

However, if you’re really in a pinch, you can use butter for pie crusts and baked goods. However, it would be best to freeze the butter and grate it, just like vegetable shortening. 6. Ghee Using the same method, make a hole about the size of an egg, about halfway up the bottle. Fill the bottle with seed to just below the hole. The birds will perch on the edge of the hole to feed. Keep the area around the bird feedertidy and remove any uneaten food. Make sure you keep feeding the birds as they get used to locations where they can find food, and will be regular visitors! Foods not to feed to birds That is an interesting short piece on the man who invented Atora – and how it is made – and what benefits Atora suet gave over making your own suet from fresh. Atora Suet Recipes:Sunflower oil can also be used when frying as a substitute for suet. However, it should not be used when making doughs or baked goods as it will ruin the texture of the dish completely.

The following substitutes can help you save your next meal that includes suet if you don’t have suet at hand. 1. Vegetable shorteningThe name "Atora" was derived from the "toro", the Spanish word for bull, inspired by the fact that suet comes from beef cattle. The booklet is divided into nine separate sections and gives recipes for four servings in the following categories: That’s it – that’s your dumpling mix. I will point out, for clarity, that this mix is DRY. You don’t add the water until you’re ready to use the dry mix. Coconut oil can technically be substituted for suet because it also has a high smoke point and can substitute any fat.

Making fat balls is extremely easy, all you need is solid vegetable oil, beef suet or lard, plus bird seed mix, at a ratio of 1:2. Use a fat that is solid when unrefridgerated to avoid it melting and making a mess. Fat ball ingredients Unscrew the lid of the bottle, make a hole in it and thread through a length of twine, or a hook twisted from wire, and hang up. Make a plate feeder However, if a recipe calls for suet, the properties of suet will often help the texture of the recipe, although in most places it can be replaced with lard in the same quantity. Can I use coconut oil instead of suet? Once the fat balls are solid, put in the garden, on a bird feeder or in a fat-ball feeder. Other ways to feed birds Empty yoghurt potsYou can substitute suet with an equal amount of vegetable shortening for any recipes that call for suet, as vegetable shortening will not alter the taste as it is quite neutral. Atora is the main UK brand for suet – but any supermarket brand of suet is just as good, so don’t think this is the only name that works.