When making hummingbird nectar at home, my solution turns golden before it comes to a boil. Is it being burned? I used medium-high heat and it takes forever to come to a boil (electric ceramic stovetop). Any suggestions?
By Mary D.
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If you are using sugar, it could be that the sugar is being caramelized. I have a glass top stove, and mine using an on/off cycle to cook. The important question is; do the hummers like it? Have you tasted it yourself? If it tastes OK to you and hummers are drinking it, I wouldn't worry.
Another question might be your ratio, are you using a 1 to 4 ratio? One cup sugar to 4 cups water is what is usually recommended.
When we make hummer food we put a cup of sugar in a metal pot, add 2 cups of water, bring it to a slow boil, stir it a bit with a spoon, take the pot off the heat and add the other 2 cups of water.
We let it cool pretty much completely before we put it in a feeder. We try to keep a good bit in a pot at all times. If we fill up a feeder and use up the juice we make more immediately and let it set until the next filling. We also rotate feeders (we have 3) and clean them each time we bring in an empty one. Sometimes we have to scrub them because they start getting a bit of mold. But we "at least" rinse them out thoroughly when we bring one in from outside.
The only time the fluid gets color is when they have set outside for a while. The water gets foggy and the birds won't eat it. This usually happens at the beginning of spring when only one or two hummers have arrived. When summer is in full swing we have no worries about foggy water (we're too busy trying to keep feed in them :)
Are you using 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water the equivalent? I put mine in a 4 cup pyrex measuring cup and microwave it for at least 3 minutes. Stir once about half way through. Then let it sit for a minute or two before opening the microwave. Voila! Hummingbird food.
Let it cool and fill the feeder. Left over food goes into the fridge for the next time. I got this recipe and the directions from my avian vet.
I make my own hummingbird food by putting 1cup of water in the microwave for 2 minutes or until it boils. I then stir in 1/3 c. of sugar until it dissolves. I let it cool completely then fill the feeder. I have a regular flock of hummers at the feeder.
I clean the feeder once a week with hot water and a bottle brush. If the weather is really hot, I clean it before I refill it every other day. It will ferment when the weather is scorching. I really don't want a bunch of drunken hummers dive bombing me :0)
You don't have to boil the water. Just add 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water and stir til it is dissolved completely. Then fill your feeders.
You don't need to cook the hummingbird food. I did for years until I found out it isn't necessary. Just mix and serve 1 cup sugar to 4 cups water (well water). They love it, and come back every year.
Thanks for the homemade Humming Bird Recipe. It sure beats buying it. Can you put red food coloring in it to make it look like the store bought kind? : )
Correction: Humming Bird Nectar Recipe. Boy,I got a Good Laugh at myself when I realized what I wrote & posted the 1st time. No I don't eat humming birds! LOL.
Making humming bird nectar is so easy. I cup of water to 1/4 cup of sugar. Just add the sugar to hot water and stir. Let it cool and put in feeder.
I heat 2 cups of water in my clean coffee maker and then add 3 tbs. of sugar with the water in a small bowl. After it cools I fill my feeder.
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