# What type of beans for baked beans?



## icemanrrc

I am wanting to make baked beans from scratch using my own recipe, mainly for dietary reasons. All of baked beans I see in the grocery store seem to be already made or are the finished product and are in their own sauce that is usually loaded with sugar, etc. So, basically, my question is, what type of bean or beans do I need to buy to make my own baked beans? Thanks!


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## rivet

Weel, if you are going to make Yankee baked beans, the Boston kind, you need to use navy beans only. If you're going to make Southern baked beans, you use navy beans, but pintosand maybe sometimes red kidney beans are acceptable in the mix too, depending where you are from. If you are going to make South Western baked beans, only pintos or anasazi beans is what you want.

I'm guessing you want to make the center-of-the-road, barbecue side dish baked beans, so you may want to stick with mainly navy beans.


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## hoser

Here's my go-to recipe for Boston baked beans...it's a very easy recipe to get started with.

*Dave's Boston Baked Beans* 
_The traditional style...a bit heavier on the molasses than the brown sugar.
No need to soak your beans overnight with my recipe....try it. You'll like it._

_Serves 4-6_

    *1 lb navy pea beans
   1/2 lb thick sliced bacon
   1 large onion, sliced
   1/4 cup brown sugar
   3/4 cup molasses
   2 tbsp prepared mustard*

Heat oven to 300°

Rinse and sort beans in a colander, then place in a large dutch oven and cover with water by at least three inches.

Bring beans to a full boil, remove from heat , cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Return beans to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 hour.

In a large skillet, saute' the bacon and onion until onions are just translucent.

Drain beans and RESERVE 2 CUPS COOKING LIQUID

Add remaining ingredients to reserved liquid, then layer beans bacon and onions in dutch oven and pour liquid over. Add more liquid if necessary to insure beans are covered.

Bake for 5 to 7 hours, checking occasionally for liquid and stirring.


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## chef jimmyj

Those Beans sounds Great, Dave, Thanks...JJ


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## billyj571

This is the recipe I use  Me growing up in Boston and yes I own 2 of these bean pots

*Bill's Original Boston Baked Beans*

*2-1/2 Quart Bean Pot Version*






*1 package (1 pound) navy or pea beans*






*1/4 pound salt pork, cut in 2 pieces*

*1 teaspoon dry mustard*

*8 cups water*

*1/3 cup molasses*

*1 teaspoon salt*

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda*

*3 tablespoons sugar*

*1/4 teaspoon pepper*

1)  Soak beans overnight in a large sauce pan in 6 cups of water.  Add baking soda.  Heat to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Drain in colander over a large bowl. Save liquid.

2)  Place beans, salt pork in the    bean pot. Add molasses, salt, sugar, dry mustard, pepper and a cup of water. Stir thoroughly. Add enough water to cover the beans. Cover the    bean pot.

3)  Bake 2 hours at 300 degrees. Add the rest of the water and stir again.  Bake additional 1-1/2 hours (or until beans are tender).  Uncover last 1/2 hour.


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## solaryellow

I use both navy and great northern beans. The great northerns seem to take a lot more time to cook.


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## cliffcarter

If you are concerned with sugar the recipe posted by* Hoser *will be very sweet, although sweet beans with bacon, eggs and bicuits make a great breakfast IMHO.

*billyj571's *recipe is closer to what I make for the traditional northern New England Saturday supper. I add another tsp of dry mustard, change the sugar to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and omit the onion, salt pork and salt. The salt pork and salt gets eliminated for dietary reasons and the onion because in almost 60 years of eating baked beans no one I know has ever put an onion in the bean pot.


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## hardslicer

When I'm in a rush....I simply get the baked beans in a can that do not have all the extra flavors added......throw in some brown sugar, some bacon and toss it in the smoker for awhile.....I like to stir it every once in awhile to get the smoke 'skin' that develops on top mixed in with the rest of the beans......pretty good and easy in a pinch


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## billyj571

I  eliminated the onion in the recipe because I add raw onions as a condiment after I bake the beans.


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## bluebombersfan

Vension Smoked Beans

ingredients:

1 cup venison

6 slices bacon chopped

500g cooked navy beans

1 red pepper diced

1 onion finely diced

1TBSP Worcestershire sauce

1TBSP Dijon mustard

1tsp chili powder

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

Preperation

In a large bowl mix ingredients and pour into a 9" x 13" glass or ceramice baking dish

Preheat smoker to 225F.  Place baking dish on top rack smoke for approx. 3 - 4 hours.  Stir once every 1/2 hour for the first 1 1/2 hours.  Then turn off smoke if desired and continue to cook for additonal 1 1/2 hours.

Note:  Can substitute beef or pork.

I have this one written down but have not tried it out yet.  If you do try it let me know how it is!!!!

Brian


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