1 c. white sugar
4 c. water

Boil the water, add the sugar. Stir solution until sugar is completely dissolved. Add one to two drops of red food coloring to help attract hummingbirds. Let solution cool and fill feeder.

Cooks Note:: Red food coloring used must be red dye #3 or #40 which are approved by the FDA. Still, some questions exist as to whether red food coloring may be safe for hummingbirds. If you have beet juice (saved from canned beets) available, add a few tablespoons to the water to color it naturally. Otherwise, you can also choose to omit the coloring altogether.