How to Make Deb's Crock Pot Boston Baked Beans

Boston Baked Beans have always been a regular staple dish in my family. Both of my parents grew up here in New England during the depths of the Great Depression. Sometimes Baked Beans were the only thing they had to eat for the evening meal, the fatback being the protein for the day. It was a very tough time for them. This was true throughout our country at the time.
When things got better, the meals got better, but Boston Baked Beans remained a weekly meal item.

Saturday was usually baked beans and brown bread night for my family as I was growing up. So even now we love our beans.

I use this recipe in my crock pot, it's less messy, takes less time and frees up the oven for other good stuff like my " Oven BBQ Pork Spareribs "

These are BOSTON BAKED BEANS, no tomato ketchup please !!!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• 1 lb. pkg dry Navy Beans
• 1/2 cup Dark Molassess
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 med. Yellow Onion, regular chopped
• 2 TBLs. Brown Mustard
• 1 TSP. Salt
• 2 TBLs. Apple Sauce
• 6 oz. Apple Cured Bacon
• 6 cups Cold Water
• 4 - 6 Quart Crockpot
• 4 - 6 Quart Stockpot

1. Inspect the Navy Beans to make sure there are no broken or bad beans. Discard any bad beans that you find. Rinse the beans under cold water to make sure they are nice and clean.

2. Place the beans in a large stockpot and cover with 3 times the volume of water to beans (usually 6 - 8 cups) of cold water. Place covered pot in refrigerator overnight for at least 12 hours.

3. Once the beans have soaked overnight, they will have softened and expanded, tripling in size. Cooked the beans on the stove top for at least 30 minutes on medium-high heat. You may replace the water used to soak the beans with fresh water, just enough to cover the beans.

4. Once the beans have cooked, removed the starchy scum with a large spoon. I personally don't like the starch in my beans, however is can be used as a thickener in the beanpot. So, if you prefer you can keep some for the cooking process. Drain the water from the beans.

5. Cook the Apple Cured Bacon until just soft, and the smell of the apple is release. It's a great smell. I do this preliminary cooking of the bacon to remove as must of the bacon fat as possible. Discard the bacon fat.

6. Turn on the Crockpot to LOW setting.

7. Add 1/2 of the brown sugar, 1/2 of the Dark Molasses, 1/2 of the Chopped Onion, 1/2 of the Apple Cured Bacon, 2 TBLs. Dark Mustard and 1 TSP salt. Add all of the drained Navy Beans to the Crockpot and stir together.
   
   If you wanted to add back some of the previously removed starch, do so at this point, before stirring.

8. After ingredients are stirred together, add the remaining Apple Cured Bacon, Chopped Onion, Dark Molasses, Brown Sugar and 2 TBLs. Apple Sauce, in that order, on top of the beans.

9. Place the cover on the crockpot. Cook at the LOW setting for 5 hours.

10. After 5 hours, quickly remove the cover and stir the Beans. Quickly replace the cover. At this point the beans do not look very done, they are still a light color, don't worry, it all cooks up good.

11. NOW ...... Turn the crockpot to HIGH setting.

12. Cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours on the HIGH setting. The Baked Beans will start to turn DARK in the last 30 to 40 minutes of cooking, that's how you know your almost done. Taste the beans after 2 1/2 hours on HIGH, you may decide that they are done.

13. EAT THOSE BEANS !!!!

Tips & Warnings

• Beans are great with Pork. Sausages, ribs, chops, Dogs are all great.
• If you make Brown Bread or buy it is the supermarket, this is the perfect traditional accompaniment for Baked beans in this neck of the woods.
• If you don't have apple sauce, slice up a small apple and add that into the mixture instead.
• You can use 4 - 6 oz. of fatback instead of the bacon. I think this is too much fat and the look of fatback just grosses me out. The bacon will at least render some fat and give a better flavor, and you won't gross anyone out. Regular cured bacon is also good.

[margorose]

on 9/8/2008 These are excellent baked beans. I've tried the recipe and they're very easy to make in your crockpot. Good tasting and authentic, too.