Molasses Baked Beans

Method6 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Put all the dry navy beans in a suitable covered container with six cups (1.5 litres) of water. Soak overnight in the refrigerator, then drain and discard the soaking water.

   Uses 2 cups dry white navy beans · 6 cups (1.5 litres) water for soaking the dry beans

2. 2

   Step 2: Put the drained soaked beans into the Dutch oven and add fresh water to cover them by a couple of inches. Bring to a boil and cook for about thirty minutes until tender but still firm, continuing as needed for the actual beans. Drain, holding the cooked beans and reserving at least three cups (750 ml) of their actual cooking liquid separately.

   Boil soaked navy beans until tender but firm · 30 minUses All drained soaked navy beans · Fresh water to cover the drained soaked beans by a couple of inches

3. 3

   Step 3: Preheat the oven to 160°C /325°F. Dice the slab bacon (½ lb) into cubes; trim, peel and finely chop the onion (1 medium). Cook all the bacon over medium-high heat in the Dutch oven until the fat renders and it begins to brown, then add all the prepared onion and cook until tender.

   Uses ½ lb slab bacon, diced into cubes in step 3 · 1 medium onion, finely chopped in step 3

4. 4

   Step 4: Add all the actual cooked drained beans back to the bacon-onion pot. Stir in all the molasses (½ cup), packed brown sugar (¼ cup), cider vinegar (2 tbsp) and ground mustard (1 tsp), salt and black pepper to taste, plus exactly three cups(750 ml) of the actual reserved bean-cooking liquid.

   Uses All cooked beans and exactly three cups(750 ml) of their reserved cooking liquid · The complete bacon-onion pot · ½ cup molasses · ¼ cup tightly packed brown sugar · 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar · 1 tsp ground mustard · Salt for the assembled beans, to taste · Black pepper for the assembled beans, to taste

5. 5

   Step 5: Bake uncovered at 160°C /325°F for three to five hours until the beans are fully tender, the sauce has thickened and the edges of the pot become sticky. Check during baking; if the beans become dry before tender, add the separate extra cup of water and continue toward the same endpoint.

   Bake molasses beans until tender and sauce thick · 300 minUses The complete assembled Dutch oven · 1 extra cup water only if the baking beans become dry

6. 6

   Step 6: Once the beans are fully tender and the sauce is thick and sticky, take the pot out of the oven. Serve hot as six side portions.

   Uses The complete finished baked beans