- 2 pounds dry navy beans or northern
beans
- 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 onions, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons of molasses
- 1-1/2 cups hot tap water or bean
juice
- 6 to 8 ounces of chopped bacon (ends
and pieces are fine)
First you have to soak your beans
overnight in plenty of water. Or if it's too
hard to think that far ahead, you can bring
them to a boil, cover them, turn off the
heat and let them sit for about an hour or
two. The point is to plump them up, or
reconstitute them to make them easier to
cook. After they have soaked (overnight, or
in boiling water for an hour) you are ready
to begin.
Simmer them on the back of the stove for 40
to 50 minutes. You want the beans to be
almost soft. When they seem about done, take
them off the stove. Drain off the cooking
water, saving about 1-1/2 cups of it (or
substitute hot tap water for the drained off
bean juice). Place the beans in a casserole
with a good lid. Add the tomato paste, salt,
onion, dry mustard, brown sugar, and bean
juice. Stir it all up so the tomato paste is
dissolved. Now lay the chopped bacon over
top of everything and place the lid on the
casserole. Bake the beans at 300° for 5 to 7
hours. Or if you prefer, you can cook them
in a crock pot on low. Serve for supper in
the winter time, with a nice whole grain
bread and carrot salad.
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