Boston Baked Beans

As any good Yankee will argue, their baked beans are the best.... It's kinda like chili in Texas. The few things all  baked bean recipes have in common is time, love, and beans. Outside that, it's free game.  Everyone has their own recipe, but I'm going to share ours -which is the best way to make them, by the way. If you would like to view another variation, check out my article on Old Post Road for my Grandmother's recipe.

A great attribute to baked beans, is that they can be a meal unto themselves or a sides for the whole week. A great help yourself meal for a crowd or just your family. Chock full of protein and fiber, with minimal prep and a lot of time in the crock pot, it's a true winner.  I have yet to meet a person that will willingly turn down Boston Baked Beans...

Sam & Laura's Boston Baked Beans:

2 cups 'Great Northern' beans (dry measure, approximately one 16 oz. bag)
1 tsp. Salt
2 Ham Hocks
2 small Onions, quartered
5 tbsp. Molasses
4 tbsp. Brown Sugar (dark or light)
2 tsp. Dry Mustard
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Bacon, crisped and crumbled
prepared Mustard
salt


-Soak beans overnight. Cover the dry beans with about 2" of water head space.
-Once beans are soaked (about 1/2" of water head space should be remaining), stir in salt.
-Drain water, reserving it.
-Put beans, ham hocks and onions in crock pot.
-Taking a sauce pan, mix all other ingredients except bacon and prepared mustard. Cook over low heat until ingredients are completely combined, and warm. Do not boil.
-Pour sauce pan contents into the crock pot [with the beans, hocks, and onions], and stir to coat.
-Take your reserved salted water from draining the beans, and pour enough to cover crock pot ingredients.
-Bake on LOW overnight, or for 12 hours, stirring occasionally. Don't attempt to shorten the time by cooking on HIGH - It won't be the same, trust me. 
-When beans are done, remove ham hocks.
-Mix in crisped bacon pieces before serving. At this point if you need/want to adjust the flavour of the beans a little, add prepared mustard and salt to taste.

This is what it looks like before cooking. 

Don't worry if it looks soupy, the beans will absorb all the liquid goodness.