Making the Good Stuff

Brewing homemade nectar for the hummingbirds is as natural a thing for this old boy as homemade iced tea. I brew a heck of a lot of the latter. But even the nectar adds up. I figure I make something like five and a half gallons (21 liters for my friends up north...) a year, and that may go higher if I decide to leave something up for the Rufous Hummingbirds in the winter. For the benefit of those who haven't brewed nectar, a simple recipe is involved: 4 units of water to 1 of granulated sugar. Boil the water, stir in the sugar, and let side until room temperature. And don't add food coloring! I tend to match 4 cups of water to 1 of sugar each outing. But I have four feeders! The stuff will hold up for maybe two weeks in the fridge. Down here we need to watch out for fast fermentation. It doesn't take too many 90F+ days to trash nectar outside. It's easy, and it creates a little more connection with the hummers. Fun!