Is there anything more comforting than homemade baked beans? Growing up in Boston, baked beans were a staple in our house, unfortunately I never ate them. Cans of beans freaked me out for some reason, but I was happy to make them from scratch when I first got homesick for Boston. For camping, we vacuum-sealed the beans, froze them and used it as an icepack for the cooler.
Yummy Beans
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. Serves 4-6.
- 6 ounces Bacon, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
- 1 large Onion, chopped fine
- 1/2 cup Molasses, plus 1 tablespoon
- 2 tablespoons Brown Mustard
- 1 pound (2 cups) small dried white navy beans, rinsed and picked over
- 1 teaspoon Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- Salt and Pepper
Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position and heat to 300 degrees.
Add bacon to 8-quart Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and most of the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup molasses, mustard, beans, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 9 cups of water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Cover pot and set in oven. Bake until beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours.
Remove lid and continue to bake until liquid has thickened to syrupy consistency, 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer. Remove beans from oven. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of molasses, vinegar, and additional salt and pepper to taste.
These sound soooooo delicious!