![]() ![]() I hope you will join our little community. If this is your first time on Flo’s Kitchen Blog, check out the Start Here page for an overview of some of the recipes you will find here. I try to come up with something about once, maybe twice a week. You will also get the latest recipes from Flo’s Kitchen delivered to your inbox. To get your printable Hummingbird Nectar Recipe and Conversion Chart just fill out the stuff below. If you like easy, delicious recipes and cooking methods, plus a pinch of ranch life, this is the place to find them. I am sharing this free printable conversion chart with my subscribers. Any dyes are not good for the little rascals. You can even warm it a little for easy dissolving but do not boil the water (boiling would lead to crystal formation that is harmful to the tiny birds). All you need to do is mix one part of sugar into four parts water and stir till the sugar dissolves completely. Dissolve the sugar completely, and don’t be tempted to add color. Preparing hummingbird nectar is surprisingly easy. Make sure to bring the water to a full boil. The recipe itself is pretty straight forward. ![]() Real estate on the fridge being what it is. If you like, you can cut it down so it’s half that size. This pdf file will print on a letter size sheet of paper. ![]() I’m not sure if that’s a good thing out here in the country, I probably need to make every effort to keep sharp you know, but I thought some of you might find it handy. I created a chart that lives on the side of the refrigerator to make my life a bit less mentally taxing. The standard recipe is a 4 to 1 ratio of water to sugar. Also, in the heat of the summer, the nectar will go bad fairly quickly so when it’s really hot I only fill my feeders half full. I don’t always make the same amount of hummingbird nectar because at different times, I get a different number of birds. So, as I was attempting mathematical gymnastics in my head to figure out how to make just enough hummingbird food to fill my two feeders, it occurred to me that a conversion chart might come in handy. Keeping your feeders clean and full of non-moldy nectar is important for two reasons: it keeps your hummers healthy and it keeps them around (they’ll leave if their food source becomes toxic).Hummingbird Nectar Recipe and Conversion Chart Once in a while you can use mild soap if you need to. Each time you refill them rinse them out thoroughly with very hot water. Be sure to fill your feeders with only enough to last that long. Especially when it’s hot, the sugar solution can only last about 2 or 3 days before mold becomes a possibility. It’s a privilege to create a haven for hummingbirds and it’s a great responsibility to ensure they’re safely feeding with you. It’s imperative to clean your feeders often. There are many great reasons to make your own nectar, however. It may seem easier to simply pour out ready-made nectar, shake up a bottle of nectar mix, or quickly dilute a commercial hummingbird nectar concentrate. Most red dye has ingredients harmful to humans and hummers alike. Making your own hummingbird nectar can seem like a chore if you have to mix up a new batch frequently to constantly refill feeders. Your feeder will attract them with its red color. I wouldn’t worry about adding red dye to your hummingbird nectar recipe. Those commercial products won’t be any more effective than sugar water at attracting hummingbirds either. While they all sound great when talking about vitamins and flavors, none of these ingredients are needed by your flying jewels. I encourage you to stay away from commercial nectar products, too. Substitutes lack the proper caloric energy. They can ferment fast and create harmful mold. Hummers can’t properly digest molasses or honey. Your hummingbird nectar recipe shouldn’t ever include items such as molasses, sugar substitutes, brown sugar or honey. You can store unused nectar for about 7 days. You can place it in the fridge overnight to be extra sure. Fermentation starts faster with warm nectar and very hot mixtures can crack your feeder. Take extra care to allow the mixture to cool before placing it out in feeders. Boiling the water may help reduce the advent of fermentation but realize that the mixture becomes contaminated the moment your first bird dips in to feed. The sweeter mixture won’t hurt your hummers but it could clog your feeder more easily as it may more quickly ferment. Check your 1:4 ratio to ensure your sugar water still has the correct mixture. Consider that you may boil off some of your water. Some folks like to boil the water first as a purifying step.Įven though it is not necessary, it is still perfectly fine to do this. The simplest way to make your hummingbird mixture is to stir your sugar into warm tap water. You could consider using purified or filtered water. ![]()
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