VEGETABLES: This is my tried-and-true recipe to produce delicious baked beans at home.

BAKED BEANS:

 

 

 

3 cups dried navy beans                                             

10 cups cold water

1 onion, halved                                                           

½ tsp. salt

1/3 cp each molasses   & packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. mustard  powder                                                           

1 tsp. ground ginger

salt and pepper                                                           

2 onions, sliced

¼ lb. lean salt pork

 

 

 

Soak beans overnight in 9 cups cold water.  Drain and reserve soaking liquid. Put liquid in a large kettle, add 1 more cup of water, the beans and the 2 onion halves and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Drain and reserve cooking liquid.

 

Combine 2 cups of cooking liquid with molasses, sugar, mustard powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper and add mixture to the beans, tossing to coat beans well.

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange half of the onion slices in the bottom of a 2-quarts bean pot. Top this with half the bean mixture. Repeat this process with the rest of the onion and beans. Cut pork fat into 6 pieces, scoring the rind, and push the pieces, rind side down, gently into the beans.  Add enough cooking liquid to cover the bean by ½ inch. Cover the pot with foil and lid.

 

Bake beans for 30 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and beans are tender.