Hummingbird Feeder Juice Recipe

Ingredients

• Just like bees love the sweetness of honey, hummingbirds also prefer a sweet nectar. That is why one of the main ingredients of homemade hummingbird juice is sugar. Depending upon the size of your feeder, you will need 1 part white sugar to 4 parts water. For instance, if you are making 5 cups of the hummingbird juice you will need 1 cup of sugar and 4 cups of water. Adding color to the nectar is optional. Some people like to color it with red food coloring so it will look more like the store-bought nectars, but that isn't necessary. Hummingbirds will drink uncolored nectar just as well as they drink colored nectar.

Preparation

• Preparing your hummingbird feeder juice is simple. Bring the water to a boil on your stove top. Then add the sugar and stir thoroughly until it dissolves. Remove the pot from the heat and set it aside to cool. After the mixture has cooled to room temperature, pour it into a jar that is to be used only for your hummingbird nectar and store it in the refrigerator so that it cools completely. Then pour it into your hummingbird feeder. Soon you'll be watching hummingbirds sipping the sweet nectar you have prepared for them.

Storing Leftovers

• If you have extra hummingbird nectar left over, you can store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. If you prefer to keep a large quantity on hand, it can be stored in the freezer and then thawed in the microwave. If the juice starts looking cloudy or milky while in the feeder, you will need to pour it out, wash the feeder, and refill it.